Smallpox vaccines may not protect against monkeypox for life - The Guardian

A study into monkeypox cases in Spain revealed that 32 of the 181 patients had previously received a childhood vaccination against smallpox.

Mitja said the figure was 60% among those who had childhood smallpox vaccination but still got monkeypox.

Prof Mark Slifka, of Oregon Health & Science University, said: “This is a potential concern that may explain why there could be more monkeypox breakthrough cases in these current outbreaks.”.

But he urged caution in interpreting the data from Spain, noting that the childhood smallpox vaccine might still have provided partial immunity towards monkeypox.

“We also don’t know if the cases among previously vaccinated individuals was less severe compared to those who were not previously vaccinated,” Slifka said, noting another study by his team looking at an earlier monkeypox outbreak in the US suggested childhood smallpox vaccination reduced the chance of catching monkeypox.

Dr Carlos Maluquer de Motes, a virologist at the University of Surrey, said the current monkeypox outbreak would offer important data on how long immunity offered by the smallpox vaccine lasts.

With monkeypox closely related to smallpox, the current outbreak could offer fresh insights