Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking in response to the declaration by the WHO of Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will continue to keep the global situation and our domestic preparations under close review, and ministers across the Government are working together to coordinate our response.

The UKHSA is engaged with our international partners, including the World Health Organisation, European, American, and African centres for disease control and prevention and national public health agencies, ensuring we receive updates about international cases in a timely fashion.

The Government holds a stock of vaccines to provide vaccinations to protect high-risk individuals during outbreaks. The Government will make further decisions on vaccine procurement as the situation evolves.

The risk to the United Kingdom’s population of being exposed to Mpox clade I is currently considered low. However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK. This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and to prevent onward transmission.