The World Health Organization has recently (14 Aug 2024) announced the current outbreak of mpox in African countries is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) with potential to spread to other countries in and outside Africa.
While a vaccine specifically against mpox is not available, the smallpox vaccine provides some protection.
Important: At present smallpox vaccine is not available in our travel clinics.
We will update if / when this situation changes.
However, the risk to general travellers is currently still considered to be low. There are several important measure travellers can undertake to minimise their risk should they travel to a country with known cases.
Advice to Travellers
Mpox is a zoonotic infection that is rarely seen in travellers arriving from African countries.
Transmission between people occurs through close skin to skin contact (including during sexual contact), or through droplet spread during close contact with a person infected with mpox.
Symptoms in people commence with fever, a flu-like illness and swollen glands followed by the development of a blistering skin rash, resembling chickenpox.
Travellers should:
- observe meticulous hand hygiene if visiting or caring for ill friends and relatives
- avoid contact with primates and rodents and avoid consuming undercooked meat from these sources
- wear protective clothing, including gloves, if involved in the slaughter or care of animals in countries where this mpox
Travellers to any destination who may be sexually active during travel (including GBMSM) should:
- be aware of the risk of mpox
- practise safe sex
- avoid close, including sexual contact with someone who is unwell and may have mpox
Travellers should be advised to seek medical help during, or for 21 days after travel if they develop symptoms of mpox and have:
- had close contact with someone who may have mpox, or
- returned from African countries where mpox is present. These travellers should also be screened for malaria.
