Their ABC announces taxpayer funded monkeypox vaccine, priority for gay and bisexual men
Thursday, 04 August 2022
The Australian government has secured 450,000 third-generation vaccines for monkeypox in what it described as a "highly contested" global market for the jabs.
Key points:
- The first 22,000 doses of the vaccine will arrive in Australia this week and next week
- There are 58 cases in Australia, but health authorities say they are confident it will be controlled with the help of the vaccine
- There are more than 25,000 cases of the disease around the world, with the WHO last month declaring it a global health emergency
The vaccine can prevent the transmission of monkeypox virus and also be used as a post-exposure treatment.
Of the 450,000 doses secured, the government says 22,000 will arrive this month, 100,000 "over the course of the year" and 350,000 doses in 2023.
"The first element of the government's actions against monkeypox is to procure the world's best vaccines for Australians," Mr Butler said.
"We are one of only a very limited number of countries that have been able to secure supplies of this in a highly contested market," Mr Butler said.
More than 25,000 cases of the highly transmissible disease have been reported in 76 countries outside of the endemic areas of Africa.
Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly said it was a "very painful condition" that often affected the genital region. It also caused a rash and "flu-like symptoms".
He said it was spread by "very intimate contact", and all 58 cases in Australia had been detected in gay and bisexual men.