After a five-month vaccination campaign, the GGD Groningen put the last vaccinations against the monkeypox virus (mpox) at the end of December. In total, almost four hundred people got an injection.
In total, the GGD gave 634 vaccinations to almost 400 people. Only a limited group of people were eligible for the vaccinations against the virus (men who have sex with men, registered HIV patients and transgender people), after a peak in the number of infections with the virus occurred in the summer of last year. This peak decreased rapidly in the autumn.
Monkeypox is an infectious disease, with symptoms similar to smallpox infection. However, the disease is generally less severe, but sometimes with fever, headache, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue. After 1-3 days a rash appears in the form of spots, which turn into vesicles. Mpox is transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact, such as kissing, making love and/or having sex with someone who is infected.