Berlin, 8 December 2022
Came to stay: We are unlikely to get rid of "monkeypox" again. Vaccinating yourself now means planning ahead.
Since October 2022, only a few cases of "monkeypox" (Mpox) have been reported in Germany. One reason for this is that many gay and bisexual men have changed their behaviour in recent months and reduced the number of sexual contacts, for example. However, abstinence does not work as a permanent means of protection. And it doesn't have to: vaccination offers the best protection.
"Now is the best time to get the vaccine to start the new year protected! Vaccine is finally available. And if you get vaccinated now, you'll be prepared even if there are more cases again. The vaccination means one less thing to worry about in 2023," says Chris*tian Gaa, press spokesperson for ICH WEISS WAS ICH TU (IWWIT), the German AIDS service organisation's campaign for gay and bisexual men. Deutsche Aidshilfe has enquired in all federal states and received feedback that vaccine is currently available everywhere.
Unreported infection figures
Epidemiologist and doctor Dr Axel Jeremias Schmidt, consultant for medicine and health policy at Deutsche Aidshilfe, emphasises the importance of vaccination at this time: "There are still more cases than the statistics show. The three-week isolation requirement in the event of a positive result discourages many people with symptoms from seeking medical treatment. Mpox will remain with us as a sexually transmitted infection, so there could be further outbreaks at any time. Vaccination prevents this." To ensure that as many people as possible are informed and protected, IWWIT is once again providing detailed information at the end of the year - with double-page adverts, online banners in dating apps and tens of thousands of flyers and posters in several languages. There will also be regular news updates about Mpox on IWWIT's social media channels and website. "We're really campaigning again now! Our community had a difficult time this year due to Mpox. Next year will hopefully be easier again and we can have the sex we want in a more relaxed way," says Gaa. With the slogan "Community is cool! We're here for each other", ICH WEISS WAS ICH TU sends out a clear signal against stigmatisation and for a sex-positive approach to the current situation.
Vaccine for all!
Deutsche Aidshilfe campaigned early on to ensure that enough vaccine is available. Not only in Germany, but worldwide: all people at risk have a right to protection! And only with effective measures in all countries can further outbreaks be prevented in a globalised world.
Based on the 2017 EMIS survey, Schmidt estimates the number of gay and bisexual men in Germany who have sex with changing partners at more than half a million. Most recently, the majority of a federal government vaccine order was delivered. In total, more than 260,000 vaccine doses have been available for around 130,000 people since the start of the epidemic. According to current studies, even the first vaccination offers good protection, while the second vaccination increases the effect and ensures long-term protection. All information on Mpox and vaccination at: iwwit.de/mpox
