Barbados denies case of Mpox

Barbados health authorities say there is no case of the Mpox virus on the island advising that a statement currently circulating about a case of Mpox, is not current.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Wellness said the information in question comes from a statement made by former minister of health and wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill on July 22, 2022.

“The Ministry would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on Mpox, verifying that, currently, there are no known active cases on island. Since the initial case in 2022, there have been two additional imported cases.

“One was recorded in January 2024, and the second one, six weeks ago. Contact tracing indicates that there was no in country spread,” the ministry said.

It said that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have advised that vaccines are not currently required in low-risk settings such as Barbados.