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British health agencies have secured funding to develop a standardised approach to test the performance of vaccines being used or in development against monkeypox, days after the World Health Organization labelled the growing outbreak a global health emergency. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said it would give up to $375,000 to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to develop standard tools to assess the strength and duration of immune responses generated by current vaccines, and for tests used to detect monkeypox antibody levels. Apart from administration fees, these tools will be made freely available to the global scientific community, paving the way for a common standardised assessment between countries documenting vaccine performance against monkeypox, CEPI said. Until this year, the viral disease has rarely spread outside Africa where it is endemic. But reports of a handful of cases in Britain in early May signalled that the outbreak had moved into Europe. So far, there have been more than 16,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox in more than 75 countries.

Monkeypox appears to be spreading from person to person in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Wednesday (June 1). The usually mild viral disease, which is endemic in west and central Africa, is understood to spread through close contact. Until early May, cases rarely cropped up outside Africa and were typically linked to travel to there. "The current outbreak is the first time that the virus has been passed from person to person in England where travel links to an endemic country have not been identified," the agency said. According to the UKHSA, the majority of cases in the United Kingdom - 132 - are in London, while 111 cases are known to be in gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men. Only two cases are in women. Recent foreign travel to a number of different countries in Europe within 21 days of symptom onset has been reported by 34 confirmed cases, or about 18 per cent of the 190 cases of the disease that have been confirmed by the United Kingdom as of May 31.

A total of 37 more cases of monkeypox have been detected in England and Scotland, public health officials said on Monday, taking the total to 57. Thirty-six confirmed cases were found in England, and one north of the border, the UK Health Security Agency and Public Health Scotland said. The UKHSA said it was now advising high-risk contact cases of confirmed cases who have not tested positive or developed symptoms to isolate for up to 21 days. It has also bought supplies of smallpox vaccine, which is being offered to close contacts to reduce the risk of symptomatic infection and severe illness. Chief medical adviser Susan Hopkins said contact tracing was helping to limit the close-contact spread of the virus, which causes a chickenpox-like rash. "Because the virus spreads through close contact, we are urging everyone to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service if they have any symptoms," she added in a statement.

The outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) in the UK, which is associated with contaminated eye gels imported from India, has led to the death of one person, and many others falling ill, according to a government report. Bcc is a group of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are widely found within the environment. Although it rarely causes infection, it can result in severe ones in individuals with compromised immune systems and those living with cystic fibrosis, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. Between January 2023 and February 2024, there were 52 confirmed and six probable cases across the UK linked to the bacteria outbreak, as revealed in the Health Protection Report published by UKHSA. Forty-one of these cases were hospital inpatients, 38 of which were in critical-care settings. Twenty-five cases were considered to have "clinically significant infections attributable to Bcc", out of which 11 had eye infections, nine had respiratory infections and four had bacteremia (bacteria entering the bloodstream). Two individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) were infected, and while one was treated, the other died, with the report indicating Bcc infection to have "contributed to the death."

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and The Pirbright Institute have launched a new collaboration to develop vaccines against henipavirus, a genus of viruses that includes Nipah virus. Funded by the Medical Research Council, this research aims to develop a vaccine that provides cross protection against the whole genus, addressing the threat of outbreaks from new or emerging henipaviruses and strengthening epidemic preparedness. Scientists at UKHSA will evaluate the protective efficacy of vaccines developed by The Pirbright Institute by using use a model of Nipah virus disease, which mimics the infection in humans. Professor Isabel Oliver, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, stated that the study would improve understanding of henipaviruses and enhance efforts to protect health from this "current and future global health threat." "The work will also make a vital contribution to the 100 Days Mission - an important initiative to make sure the world is better prepared for the next pandemic by accelerating the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines," he added.

A polio vaccine booster campaign is being launched for almost a million children in London aged between 1 and 9 after confirmation that poliovirus is spreading in the capital for the first time since the 1980s. The UK Health Security Agency has identified 116 polioviruses from 19 sewage samples this year in London, after first sending an alert about finding the virus in June. The levels of poliovirus found and genetic diversity indicated that transmission was taking place in a number of London boroughs, the agency said on Wednesday (Aug 10). Health secretary Steve Barclay said: "I recognise parents and guardians will be concerned about the detection of polio in London, however I want to reassure people that nobody has been diagnosed with the virus and the risk to the wider population is low… "Vaccines offer the best defence to children, and those around them, so I would encourage families to ensure they are up to date with their routine jabs, and to come forward for the polio booster as soon as they are contacted by the NHS."

Polio has been detected in sewage samples in London, the first sign since the 1980s that the virus could be spreading in the UK, but no cases have been found, authorities said. The risk of infection from the disease, which causes paralysis in children in under one per cent of cases, was also low because of high vaccination rates, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. The agency nevertheless encouraged parents to make sure their children were vaccinated after the discovery of the virus during routine wastewater surveillance - particularly those who may have missed shots during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nationwide vaccination levels are above the 90 per cent needed to prevent outbreaks, but London's coverage rates among the under-twos has dipped below that in recent years. NHS England will begin contacting parents of children under five who are not immunised. Polio, spread mainly through contamination by faecal matter, used to kill and paralyse thousands of children annually worldwide. There is no cure, but vaccination brought the world close to ending the wild, or naturally occurring, form of the disease.

British health officials on Wednesday (September 28) warned that increased circulation of flu and a resurgence in Covid-19 could lead to a difficult winter that increases pressure on the already stretched NHS. Warnings over a possible "twindemic" of Covid-19 and flu have been issued each winter since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, but Covid restrictions that limited social contact have meant flu levels stayed low. However, the government ended coronavirus restrictions earlier this year, meaning that social contact rates have returned to near pre-pandemic norms while immunity to flu is relatively low. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that given the risk it was important those eligible took up vaccines against Covid and flu. "There are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three winters and an increase in Covid-19 circulating," said Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UKHSA.

Deaths caused by hepatitis C has declined by 35 per cent in England between 2015 and 2020, latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed. It showed that estimated prevalence of chronic hepatitis C in England has continued to fall to around 81,000 in 2020 from 129,000 in 2015, showing a considerable progress has been made towards eliminating the virus as a public health problem by 2030 in England. Commenting on the data release, health and social care secretary Sajid Javid, said: "It is fantastic to see the significant progress that has been made in eliminating hepatitis C in England. Deaths and prevalence of the virus have fallen consistently thanks to improvements in diagnosis, access to treatments and the hard work of the NHS. "This is another example of the UK being at the forefront of tackling serious diseases. We are on track to eliminate this virus by 2030 and I urge anyone who may be at risk to get tested as soon as possible."

A news report suggests the Department of Health and Social Care is aiming to be ready to start charging for Covid-19 tests which are currently free at the end of June. Britain has been increasingly dependent on rapid testing to try to tackle the more-transmissible Omicron variant, which has spread rapidly through the population but is less severe. The government has previously said it will end the universal free provision of easy-to-use lateral flow devices (LFDs) at a "later stage", with individuals and businesses bearing the cost. The Department of Health has declined to say what the tests cost, citing commercial contracts. One source has told the Reuters news agency they can run to £30 for a pack of seven. Free pick up from pharmacies The tests have been made freely available to order online or pick up from local pharmacies since April. The UK Health Security Agency said that between December 30 and January 5 more than 8 million LFDs were conducted, the highest weekly figure on record.

Britain will start to roll out Merck's molnupiravir Covid-19 antiviral pill through a drug trial later this month, Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency said on Sunday (November 7). Last week Britain became the first country in the world to approve the potentially game-changing Covid-19 antiviral pill, jointly developed by US-based Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. The government said in October it had secured 480,000 courses of the Merck drug, as well as 250,000 courses of an antiviral pill developed by Pfizer Inc. Asked about the molnupiravir approval, Hopkins told BBC television: "That is great news and it will start to be rolled out through a drug trial in the end of this month/the beginning of December." Hopkins said all the trials so far had been done with the unvaccinated, so this would help understand how it will work in the wider vaccinated population.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that monkeypox is to be listed as a notifiable disease in law from Wednesday (June 8). The new legislation means all doctors in England are required to notify their local council or local Health Protection Team (HPT) if they suspect a patient has monkeypox. Laboratories must also notify the UKHSA if the monkeypox virus is identified in a laboratory sample. Wendi Shepherd, monkeypox incident director at UKHSA, said: "Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further spread of monkeypox. This new legislation will support us and our health partners to swiftly identify, treat and control the disease. "It also supports us with the swift collection and analysis of data which enables us to detect possible outbreaks of the disease and trace close contacts rapidly, whilst offering vaccinations where appropriate to limit onward transmission."

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on Thursday (May 19) said that an anticipated autumn Covid booster campaign would be aimed at people aged over 65, care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and all adults in a clinical risk group. The UK is offering a spring booster to the over-75s, care home residents and immunosuppressed people, and ministers have spoken openly of plans for a further booster campaign in the autumn. In interim advice, the JCVI stopped short of recommending another shot for all adults, though said the advice would be reviewed and updated. "The JCVI's current view is that in autumn 2022, a Covid-19 vaccine should be offered to: residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health and social care workers; all those 65 years of age and over; and adults aged 16 to 64 years who are in a clinical risk group," the UK Health Security Agency said in a statement. Prime minister Boris Johnson, who was fiercely criticised for his handling of the early stages of the pandemic, lifted Covid restrictions in England in February, crediting Britain's quick initial vaccine rollout and the rollout of boosters with breaking the link between cases and deaths.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said last week (Aug 5) there were "early signs" that the monkeypox outbreak was plateauing across the country and that its expansion had slowed. "While the most recent data suggests the growth of the outbreak has slowed, we cannot be complacent," Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said. There were 2,859 confirmed and highly probable cases of monkeypox in the UK as of Aug. 4, with nearly 99 per cent of the cases among men, the country's health authority said in a statement. The recent analysis by the UKHSA showed that "monkeypox continues to be transmitted primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men", it added. British authorities in June were recommending gay and bisexual men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox be offered a vaccine, as the outbreak of the viral disease had gathered pace, mostly in Europe.

To complete the evaluations of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will approach pharmacies and send 15 combined kits to pharmacies in December. The combined kits will contain a standard LFD pack, one PCR test along with comprehensive instructions. For the evaluation, a part of meeting Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) obligations, UKSHA needs "dual swabbing through the community pharmacy Covid-19 lateral flow device distribution service." Pharmacies receiving these kits need to finish the current open carton of LFD packs and then open the next standard carton. Pharmacy negotiator PSNC has advised pharmacies to be mindful of "the expiration date of the kit and ensure these are handed out in sufficient time."

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has cautioned people to stop using certain eye gels, highlighting a potential risk of microbial contamination that can cause an infection. As a precaution, the agency on Friday announced recall of specific batches of carbomer-containing lubricating eye gels branded Aacarb, Aacomer and Puroptics, which are generally used to relieve the symptoms of dry eye. Burkholderia cenocepacia is suspected to have caused the microbial contamination, and the issue was raised after an ongoing investigation conducted by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) identified a small number of cases of infection. Investigations are on to determine if there is a link between these products and the infections which have been identified. Meanwhile, retailers have been told to withdraw the affected products, and users are asked to return their product to the place of purchase immediately.

People infected with monkeypox can isolate at home if they remain well enough, whilst following measures to limit close contact with others, the UK's health security agency (UKHSA) said on Monday (May 30), part of guidance designed to curb the country's rise in cases of the viral illness. More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in May, outside of Africa where the virus is endemic. The usually mild illness spreads through close contact and can cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions. An additional 71 cases of monkeypox have been identified in England, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the UK as a whole to 179 since early May. Scientists are looking into what might explain the unusual surge of cases, given most are not linked to travel. The UKHSA indicated community transmission was occurring in the UK and said infected people should avoid contact with others until their lesions have healed and the scabs have dried off.

A roundtable organised by National Pharmacists Association (NPA) discussed how an enhanced role of community pharmacies could help people with obesity. Seven action points were recommended by the delegates at the virtual event which took place on March 31, in collaboration with Novo Nordisk. It was chaired by Professor Maggie Rae, president of the Faculty of Public Health and featured representatives from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Royal Society for Public Health, Patients Association, UK Health Security Agency, Diabetes UK and NHS England. The roundtable also heard testimony from a parent of a young adult living with obesity and a presentation of the personal experience of someone living with the condition by Sarah Le Brocq, director of campaign group, All About Obesity.

Deviating from the initial schedule to kick off the flu and Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in October, the NHS England has announced that the autumn vaccination drive will commence sooner than expected in England, starting on September 11. This decision was taken as a precaution in response to a new Covid-19 variant. The precautionary measure is being taken as the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency examined the variant BA.2.86, which was first detected in the UK on Friday, August 18, 2023, the NHSE said on Aug. 30. While NHS England had previously announced that vaccinations for both NHS programmes would begin on October 2 for residents of older adult care homes, appointments for other eligible groups were scheduled for the following week, starting on October 7. This decision prompted community pharmacy leaders to denounce the delayed start of the flu service as 'unacceptable'.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has shared materials to help community pharmacy in communicating relevant advice to people during this heatwave. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a heat-health alert for the next few days. It has also published a beat the heat poster, along with its heatwave guidance, which could be used in pharmacies to raise awareness. "During this heatwave, the public may turn to community pharmacy teams for advice about staying well during the hot weather or to seek assistance when feeling unwell because of the heat," PSNC said. It has previously developed materials that may be used by community pharmacy teams to communicate relevant messages contained in the Heatwave Plan for England and the NHS website guidance on how to cope in hot weather.