Councillor Jonathan Simpson MBE

THE government’s slow provision of monkeypox vaccines has been branded “disappointing” and anxiety-inducing, amid calls to give more people greater access to jabs.

While monkeypox cases – which see lesions develop on the skin – have recently plateaued, the outbreak is centred in the capital.

In England, 73 per cent of cases were London residents and 99 per cent were men.

As of August 9, 95 people in Camden have contracted monkeypox. Anyone can catch the virus, which often spreads via skin-to-skin contact, but so far the majority of people have been gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (GBMSM).

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advised that the smallpox vaccine, which is used to treat monkeypox, is given first to GBMSM, alongside healthcare workers and people who have come directly in contact with someone with the virus.

In Camden, sexual health clinics are offering the vaccine, although there are no walk-in centres in the borough, nor across the rest of London as of Friday, when Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital announced it will be stopping its walk-in service.

Sexual health clinic Mortimer Market Centre in Fitzrovia, which has already vaccinated 2,500 people, sent a message to those eligible with a booking link.

The clinic is offering 200 appointments a day, but King’s Cross councillor Jonathan Simpson warned residents have struggled to book a jab.

“I’ve got residents who are desperate to get the vaccine,” he said. “It’s very, very hard to get any appointments from what I’ve been told.”

He added: “It’s not the fault of the clinics themselves; they’re absolutely overrun with demand. The government’s just not supplying enough vaccine.”

Monkeypox is rarely fatal but Cllr Simpson is concerned by how anxious some residents are about the virus. Isolation periods upon contracting monkeypox – which can be up to five weeks while lesions clear – also put pressure on people’s careers.

“The implications for work are serious,” Cllr Simpson said. “At the moment if you’re taking five weeks off for monkeypox you’re effectively outing yourself as a gay or bisexual man. I think a lot of people would be extremely anxious about that.”

Mental health and LGBTQ+ advocate Ross Matthew Gates, who is bisexual and lives in Tufnell Park, has found the monkeypox outbreak “anxiety-provoking”.

Four weeks ago he asked for a vaccine at a sexual health clinic in central London. But despite having a “high sex drive” he was told that he was not eligible.

“Provision of visibility mechanisms and mechanisms for people to talk to are so important for the preservation of our mental health,” Mr Gates said. While monkeypox has not made him change his behaviour, Mr Gates said he has become much more vigilant of other people.

He added: “I think an increased awareness needs to be given on the subject because it is extremely anxiety-provoking.”

Camden’s health chief Anna Wright, right

A UKHSA spokesperson said: “UKHSA has procured around 150,000 doses of the smallpox vaccine. The vaccine is being delivered in batches and is being offered to individuals at higher risk of coming into contact with monkeypox in order to protect them and to help contain the current outbreak. “We continue to monitor supply and remain in discussion with the manufacturer, though global supplies are limited.”

Camden’s health chief, Councillor Anna Wright, said: “An individual’s eligibility depends on a number of factors but would be similar to the criteria used to assess those eligible for HIV pre­exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – applied even if someone is already living with HIV.

“Vaccination is being deployed via sexual health clinics (provided by CNWL in Camden) and Camden’s sexual health clinical teams have been working at pace and have identified high-risk eligible gay bisexual and men who have sex with men from clinical records.”

She added: “They are calling in eligible high-risk men for vaccination, in addition to opportunistic vaccination as patients present. “Trusts are running mass vaccination clinics at weekends, with support from Covid vaccination staff.”