The Department of Health has launched a vaccination drive against mpox as laboratory-confirmed cases gradually increase in the country.

The programme will primarily target the provinces most affected: Gauteng, Western Cape and KZN.

Two new cases were confirmed – a 32-year-old from Cape Town and a 45-year-old from Johannesburg – both with no history of travel.

This brings to 10 the total number of confirmed cases since the start of 2025.

“Vaccination helps to control the spread of this preventable and manageable disease, with vaccinated individuals being protected from becoming infected and from developing severe complications,” the department said.

Vaccines will be available at some public health facilities, travel clinics and select private providers in the affected provinces.

Priority groups for vaccination

Priority will be given to people at higher risk, including close contacts of confirmed cases, individuals with multiple sexual partners and travellers to outbreak areas. Vaccination will also be offered to pregnant women and children older than two years where indicated.

Imvanex vaccine donation

South Africa received 10 500 doses of the mpox vaccine, Imvanex, donated by the Africa Centres for Disease Control through the Access and Allocation Mechanism for mpox.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority authorised its importation under a Section 21 process for unregistered medicines, and the National Control Laboratory verified its safety and efficacy.

“Imvanex was found to be safe and well tolerated in most people. As with any vaccine, mild to moderate side effects may occur, but these are usually temporary,” the department added.

Common side effects include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, headache, nausea and fever. These usually resolve within a few days and can be managed with rest, hydration and over-the-counter pain medication.

Suspected side effects should be reported to a healthcare professional or via the free Med Safety app (https://medsafety.sahpra.org.za).

Limited doses and phased rollout

With limited doses, the rollout will occur in phases, prioritising outbreak hotspots and based on vaccine availability.

More information on vaccination sites is available at: https://health.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-MPOX-VACCINATION-SITES.pdf

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