The Hon Mark Butler MP
Minister for Health and Aged Care
The Australian Government is committed to ensuring the safety of those at risk of Monkeypox (MPX) and has been working closely with states, territories and key stakeholders to ensure a coordinated national response.
The second shipment of almost 40,000 vials of the MPX vaccine JYNNEOS has arrived in Australia and will be made available through states and territories. More doses are scheduled to arrive this year and throughout 2023.
Through peak organisations Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), state-based LGBTQ+ health organisation ACON in NSW and Thorne Harbour Health in Victoria, new case numbers have been suppressed in Australia, with only one case diagnosed during October. However, vaccination remains important, particularly as we head into summer and World Pride events, which will see many international visitors to Australia.
The arrival of new vaccines coincides with the launch of a new national campaign funded by the Australian Government.
The Prick – Pause – Play campaign includes important messages about knowing MPX symptoms, risk factors, prevention strategies and the importance of vaccination. It has been developed and delivered by Emen8, a national digital HIV prevention and sexual health resource for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men produced in partnership between ACON and Thorne Harbour Health.
Featuring community members from a diverse range of backgrounds and lifestyles, the campaign will appear across targeted social media channels, search engines and digital applications popular among gay and bisexual men.
Earlier this year amid a global shortage due to high demand, Australia successfully secured 450,000 vials of the JYNNEOS vaccine. Of those, 100,000 vaccines are to be delivered in 2022 and the remaining 350,000 next year.
Across Australia we have seen almost 25,000 people at highest risk of MPX receive their first vaccination.
