Infectious diseases

Government confirms first case of ‘clade Ib’ mpox virus detected in the UK

The UK Health Security Agency says that despite this being the first confirmed case in the UK, “the risk for the general population is very low and remains so for this incident”.…

UK’s first potential norovirus vaccine to be trialled by UK government partnership with Moderna

Data show that the norovirus is estimated to cause 3.7 million infections in the UK each year.…

NICE rejects cabotegravir for PrEP in draft guidance

Draft guidance said the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment cabotegravir is not recommended because “it is not possible to determine the cost-effectiveness estimate ... without further analyses from the manufacturer”.…

Test your knowledge of sexual and reproductive health

This CPD and learning quiz can help you assess your knowledge of a range of sexually transmitted infections and related health issues.…

UK government announces mpox vaccination programme

The government has ordered 150,000 additional doses of mpox vaccine in preparation for any clade I cases that may enter the UK.…

Mpox: how is the UK preparing for the latest variant?

With the first cases of a new mpox strain emerging in Europe and Asia in August 2024, the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern” for the second time in two years. So what is the ‘clade I’ mpox virus and what risk does it po…

COVID-19 Inquiry must consider pharmacy resilience in case of future pandemics, says RPS

A statement from the RPS emphasised how much the complexity and fragility of medicine supply chains were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to widespread shortages.…

Advantages and disadvantages of shorter antimicrobial courses

An overview of the available evidence for shorter antimicrobial courses, including how this can be supported in practice and the potential positive impact on antimicrobial resistance.…

Government advises NHS service providers to hold PPE stocks in response to mpox risk

The NHS Health Security Agency has advised pharmacies to ensure they have adequate stocks of PPE for the assessment and treatment of anyone who may present with suspected clade I mpox virus.…

More than 10,000 whooping cough cases reported in first six months of 2024

Case numbers of whooping cough in 2024 so far have already exceeded the total number of cases reported in 2012, the last major outbreak of the disease.…