Vaccination for Individuals at Higher Risk of Catching Monkeypox

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1291
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Ms Joan Pereira
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question No. 3252

To ask the Minister for Health whether smallpox vaccination can be made available to individuals at higher risk of catching monkeypox, in addition to those who are exposed to confirmed cases or their specimens, healthcare workers and laboratory personnel.

Answer

The Ministry of Health, in consultation with infectious diseases experts, does not currently recommend smallpox vaccination to other individuals as a preventive strategy for monkeypox, as the risks of infection can be managed through other means (such as good personal hygiene, abstaining from sex when symptomatic), and the disease is generally self-limiting, with symptoms usually resolving spontaneously. Hence the potential benefit does not outweigh the small risk of adverse side effects from vaccination.

MOH will continue to monitor the local and global situation and review our public health measures, including whether to extend vaccinations to other groups in addition to the individuals at high-risk, for whom vaccination is already recommended.