More regions start with preventive vaccination against monkeypox virus

In the regions of Rotterdam-Rijnmond, IJsselland and Drenthe, the first people will be vaccinated preventively against the monkeypox virus next week. The first invitations have been sent in other parts of the country.

The vaccination campaign in Rotterdam-Rijnmond will start next Thursday. From that day on, people with invitations can visit the vaccination location at Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

In Drenthe and IJsselland, vaccinations will start on Monday. The GGD Hollands Noorden, which covers the north of Noord Holland, also expects to start vaccinating next week.

In the province of Utrecht, the GGD will start vaccinating "very soon." The GGD in Flevoland sent the first invitations this week. In Kennemerland, the first invitations will be sent in August. The GGD Hollands Midden, which covers Leiden and Gouda, is preparing, but is "not yet ready to actually start vaccinating," and asks for patience.

People will received the smallpox vaccine Imvanex. After four weeks, they will receive a second shot and will then be fully vaccinated.

The preventive shots will first be given to men who have sex with men and to transgender people who are HIV positive or who are taking medication to prevent them from contracting HIV. The rationale behind inviting these groups first is that they include many people who have the greatest risk of contracting the monkeypox virus. Those who are not invited cannot be vaccinated. About 2,000 people are eligible in Rotterdam, and approximately 32,000 people across the Netherlands.

The preventive vaccination started last Monday in Amsterdam-Amstelland and Haaglanden. About 40 percent of those invited have gotten the jab so far. The GGDs attribute this relatively low turnout to the holiday period. People who did not show up now will receive a new invitation later to get the shot.

About 200 people have previously been vaccinated against the monkeypox virus. These people had the risk of actually being infected, for example because they had sex or other close contact with an infected person.

The monkeypox virus has been found in 878 people in the Netherlands in recent weeks. That number is steadily increasing. Most infections have been found in men who have sex with men. Monkeypox is not a venereal disease, but mainly spreads through skin-to-skin contact. Anyone can contract the virus.

Spain reported the first monkeypox death in Europe on Friday. The country has 4,298 confirmed cases of the disease.