The High Health Authority (HAS) "considers that the targets of this vaccination remain unchanged since its previous recommendations", she said in a press release accompanying updated recommendations on the subject.
Multiple outbreaks of mpox are underway in central Africa
The HAS was contacted this summer by the Ministry of Health in a context where MPOX, formerly known as "monkey pox", is once again the subject of international concern, two years after the global epidemic of 2022.
There are currently several outbreaks underway in central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, fueled by a different version of the strain that caused the 2022 outbreak.
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This was caused by "clade 2", which is still circulating quietly in many countries, including France. The epidemics in the DRC are caused by "clade 1", which has caused hundreds of deaths among children.
But the situation is complicated by the fact that a new version of clade 1, variant 1b, has appeared in the DRC and seems to circulate mainly between adults during sexual contact, as was already the case in the 2022 epidemic.
Vaccination as soon as possible for contact cases
In this context, the question arose of extending preventive vaccination beyond the target groups already in place for two years: they mainly include men who have homosexual relations, male or female prostitutes and anyone working in places dedicated to sexual encounters.
The HAS ultimately did not consider it necessary to go further, noting that “the mode of transmission by intimate/sexual contact is mainly observed regardless of the clade”. It also continues to recommend so-called reactive vaccination for contact cases, ideally less than four days after exposure.
Read alsoMPOX, the new Covid? No, says WHO
The health authority has, however, updated some points. It now recommends a booster dose for people in risk categories.
This recommendation is valid regardless of the person's vaccination schedule – one, two or three doses already taken – but on condition that the last dose dates back more than two years.
Finally, the HAS does not recommend a vaccine for people who caught MPOX during the 2022 epidemic, judging their natural immunity to be already sufficient.
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