Mpox vaccines are necessary only for specific at-risk groups, not the general population, because the disease is less contagious than Covid-19, according to a leading virologist.
Dr. Yong Poovorawan from the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University shared on Facebook last Saturday that vaccinating the general population against mpox is not required.
The World Health Organisation recently declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on August 14, following an increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to neighbouring countries.
The groups most at risk include homosexual men, individuals who engage in casual sex, and those who have traveled to areas where the disease is common.
Dr. Yong also pointed out that mpox is less easily transmitted than Covid-19, typically through direct physical or sexual contact, or even sharing a bed.
He further mentioned that mpox is generally less severe than Covid-19 in the early stages of infection. Adults and older individuals who received the smallpox vaccine—usually those born before 1980—already have partial immunity to mpox.
The available mpox vaccine is costly, but the cost can be minimized by dividing a single dose for use by up to five individuals, each receiving an intramuscular injection.
Dr. Opass Putcharoen, acting deputy director of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre (Anonymous Clinic), noted that the center has administered 400 doses of the mpox vaccine from March 1 to August 22, with registrations for the vaccine continuing to rise.
He agreed with Dr. Yong that the vaccine is not necessary for everyone but recommended for those in high-risk groups, advising a two-dose regimen with the second dose given 28 days after the first.
For those previously vaccinated against smallpox, he stated that an additional mpox vaccine is only advised if they have been in close contact with a confirmed case, recommending a single booster dose.
Dr. Opass mentioned the pricing for the mpox vaccine: 8,500 baht for a subcutaneous injection and 2,200 baht for an intramuscular injection.
