Between 19 May and 6 July this year, 43 cases of monkey pox have been confirmed in Sweden.

Venous health at Södersjukhuset in Stockholm now warns that the infection is increasing among men who have sex with men.

The reception, which is specifically aimed at that group, now wants to see a vaccine against monkey pox.

The World Health Organization WHO is also taking the very rapid increase in infection seriously in recent times.  

"Around the world, more than 6,000 cases have been registered in 58 countries," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO.

Finn Filén, chief physician at Venhälsan at Södersjukhuset in Stockholm, believes that those who are primarily in need of the vaccine are men who have sex with men.

- There are both people who have well-treated HIV infection and people who take prep (preventive HIV treatment), he says. 

Vaccine on the way to Sweden

Karin Tegmark Wisell, Director General of the Swedish Public Health Agency, announces that a vaccine may soon be in place.

- We hope to be able to start using the vaccine next week.

But Karin Tegmark Wisell points out the importance of not rushing into a vaccination application.

- It is a vaccine we need to get a good look at.

We do not know how effective it is.

She adds that you still need to work with classic infection prevention measures, such as not exposing others or yourself when you have symptoms, and tracking infection.

- It is a generally dangerous disease, she says.

Risk of increased spread

Venhälsan believes that a vaccine could have stopped the spread of infection.

- So far it is a very well-defined group, it would have been possible to call them in very quickly.

We know exactly who has fallen ill and which group it is.

It would be nice to be able to vaccinate it away before it spreads to other groups as well, says Finn Filén in Aktuellt.

Do you think there is such a risk?

- I expect that it will happen, but so far we have not seen it but it is only about men who have sex with men so far, says Finn Filén and continues:

- It can be a sexually transmitted disease that we do not get rid of.