Monkeypox vaccinations will be expanded to persons who are most at risk of infection
Monkeypox vaccinations in Finland will be expanded. Until now, the monkeypox vaccine has only been offered to persons who have been exposed to the disease and to close personal contacts of infected persons. From now on, vaccinations will also be offered to those who have the highest risk of being infected with monkeypox.
The risk of infection and the limited availability of the vaccines have both been taken into account when defining the risk groups.
Risk groups include:
- Men who use HIV preventive PrEP medication and have sex with men
- Men who are waiting for PrEP treatment and have sex with men
- Men who have contracted HIV, have sex with men and have had several sexual partners in the past six months
- Men who have sex with men, have had several sexual partners in the past six months and have had at least one of the following:
- group sex or
- a diagnosed sexually transmitted disease or
- a visit in places at home or abroad where there has been sex between men or
- participation in events in Finland or abroad that involved sex between men.
The vaccination series for risk groups consists of two doses of the vaccine. The interval between the first and second doses is at least four weeks. Hospital districts and municipal authorities will provide information on when vaccines are available and how vaccinations in the area are arranged.
The disease usually heals by itself
So far, 41 cases of monkeypox have been diagnosed in Finland. Monkeypox can be contracted both in Finland and abroad. All infected persons have been adult men.
Monkeypox is not easily transmitted from person to person, and it is not typically transmitted in brief everyday contact. The risk that monkeypox would spread more widely in the population is very low.
This year, most of the infections outside Africa have come through sexual contact. Anyone can be infected, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that infections have been highest among men who have had sex with other men and have had new or several partners. Condoms, when used correctly, give protection against several different sexually transmitted diseases, but they do not give adequate protection against monkeypox.
Monkeypox is typically accompanied by a skin condition with papules or blisters for which there is no other explanation. Before the skin reacts, other typical symptoms of infection may appear, such as fever or headache.
Treatment of monkeypox is symptomatic, and the disease usually goes away on its own in a few weeks. Serious forms of the disease usually occur among patients whose immune defences have been weakened by other illnesses or by medical treatment.
If you suspect you may have contracted monkeypox, please contact health care services
If you suspect monkeypox infection, avoid physical contacts. Contact health care services by telephone before seeking treatment. It is particularly important to avoid close contact with pregnant women and children, as well as with persons who have a severe underlying disease that causes a reduced immune system.
Further information
Monkeypox vaccine (THL, in Finnish)
Close personal contacts of a person with monkeypox (THL)
Anniina Virkku
Medical Specialist
THL
[email protected]
Leif Lakoma
Medical Specialist
THL
[email protected]
