Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to respond to the monkeypox outbreak.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is working with the National Health Service and the public health agencies in the four nations to prevent onward transmission of monkeypox virus. The UKHSA is raising awareness of the outbreak with the public, including advice on symptoms and how to access the appropriate treatment options.

The UKHSA recommends that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox should be offered a dose of a smallpox vaccine, such as Imvanex. Vaccines are also offered to those most likely to be exposed to monkeypox including healthcare workers and close contacts of those infected.