Mpox after vaccination: a case series

In 2022, in response to the global mpox outbreak, Portugal introduced the Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic vaccine for at-risk groups; two intradermal doses were preferred to maximise vaccine availability. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients diagnosed with mpox at a sexual health clinic in Lisbon (June to September 2023). Among 24 individuals, six had received full vaccination (table 1); most had no relevant medical history, whereas one had well-controlled HIV infection. In four (67%) patients, mpox occurred >6 months after vaccination. Limited data from the current outbreak suggest a vaccine efficacy of 66–89%,1 2 with vaccinated people experiencing a reduced risk of severe disease and a shorter disease duration.2 In agreement with the emerging evidence, this small case series indicates that vaccination may reduce mpox disease severity; we observed fewer lesions and more localised manifestations in vaccinated…

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