“I got my mpox vaccination last week,” my friend Joe told me in early September. “Oh?” I replied. Despite the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo hitting the news in mid-August, I hadn’t really thought about it. Actually, following the outbreak in 2022 and its subsequent containment, I hadn’t thought about it all.
For those that don’t know, mpox is an infectious viral disease that causes rashes, fevers and swollen lymph nodes and is generally mild, but in 2022, with lockdown measures being eased during the summer season, it became apparent in many parts of the world that it was now being sexually transmitted, particularly between men having sex with men.
By mid-August of 2022, there were 1,500 documented cases in Berlin alone. People panicked. And just as suddenly, by autumn, it seemed to be gone. The public health infrastructure in Germany had combatted the outbreak with an awareness campaign and vaccinations. A few people I know managed to get the vaccine back then and others I knew that were planning on getting it dropped the idea as it seemed to fade from public consciousness.
Get yourself jabbed and leave the panic back in brat summer.
Fast forward two years and a deadlier variant surfaced in the DRC with over 14,000 suspected cases and 500 reported deaths, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for a second time in just two years. This time round, however, it’s a newer, deadlier variant known as Clade 1b, and it is currently still spreading in Africa.
The alarm bells got louder when the first case of Clade 1b outside of Africa was announced in Sweden on August 15. At that time, here in Berlin, the vaccination was not yet being covered by health insurance, and those that wished to get it would have to fork out for it in advance at Apotheken across the city (although in many cases they could get the cost reimbursed).
Was it time to worry? The chatter had understandably swelled, but by now there’s a few things to keep in mind. According to the most recent numbers, only 33 cases were reported in Berlin (86 in all of Germany) – a significant drop compared to 2022. The infected Swede caught the variant while actually in Africa but has recovered since. Even as a stronger variant, with the right treatment, it seems manageable in our healthcare system(s). Experts themselves say there is no immediate danger in Germany.
And the most important and reassuring news: doctors and the health insurance system have swiftly swung into action, allowing the vaccine to be covered and available through general practitioners as of September 1. (My own won’t start carrying it until October 1, though, so check with yours.) While it seems there’s no real reason to panic, the Robert Koch Institute does recommend the vaccine in particular to men who have sex with men and have multiple partners. So next time you hit up your Hausarzt, get yourself jabbed and leave the panic back in brat summer.
