Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is planning to take steps to provide support to local authority-commissioned sexual health services to (a) identify, (b) treat and (c) vaccinate people infected with monkeypox.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) is supporting local authorities and system partners in containing the monkeypox outbreak, including through guidance on the identification and management of infected cases. Whilst sexual health services play an important role in the identification of cases, it does not treat or vaccinate individuals.

The UKHSA is advising individuals who are concerned to contact NHS 111 or local sexual health services for an assessment. In most cases, the illness is mild and does not require treatment, although some individuals may be treated within High Consequence Infectious Disease beds within the National Health Service. Vaccination is not advised for those infected.