O Treatment Activist Group (GAT) identified a new outbreak of mpox in the Lisbon region and cases of hepatitis A, calling for vaccination against mpox and the free and equitable availability of the hepatitis A vaccine.
According to the Treatment Activists Group (GAT), its community-based screening centers diagnosed, in October and this month, new cases of mpox in the MSM population (Men who have Sex with Men) in the Greater Lisbon region.
“At the same time, new cases of hepatitis A among MSM are beginning to emerge, with the possibility of developing into an outbreak”, warns the GAT in a statement.
Contacted by the agency Lusaa Directorate-General for Health (DGS) clarified that in recent weeks “an increase in the number of cases [de mpox]suggesting a possible intensification of transmission, although there is still no evidence of a new epidemic peak”.
The health authority also highlights that, since June 2024, “Portugal has recorded a small, but continuous, number of sporadic cases of mpox reported weekly”.
DGS data indicate that a monthly average of around 11 cases by the subvariant of the mpox virus “clade Ib” in an oscillatory profile: August, 10 confirmed cases, September, 3 cases, October 16 cases and in November, 8 confirmed cases.
The reported cases mostly refer to male individuals aged between 25 and 57 years. Of these, 86% had sexual relations with other men.
For the organization, the first case confirmed at GAT Checkpoint LX is a clear warning sign: “History may be repeating itself and a public response cannot, once again, come late, even more so with the possibility of two outbreaks occur at the same time (mpox e hepatitis A)”, advises.
The GAT highlights that the outbreaks have taught that “vaccination, when available, is the best prevention, but precarious access to immunization is the main barrier to containing virus transmission”.
Therefore, it calls for immunization against serious disease caused by the mpox virus and demands equitable and free access to the hepatitis A vaccine.
GAT says it has insisted on health authorities so that hepatitis A vaccines are made available free of charge, in accordance with the Clinical Guidance Standard of the Directorate-General for Health published in the summer of 2025, but So far this has not happened.
“For this reason, mpox vaccination remains free, while the hepatitis A vaccine still needs to be purchased at a pharmacy for free administration at the GAT Checkpoint LX and GAT Intendente centers”, he explains.
The organization emphasizes that people who have not yet been vaccinated or who have not completed the vaccination schedule (two doses) can request a medical prescription at GAT.
“It is essential that all people at risk, particularly MSM and people in the same social and/or sexual networks, as well as people with multiple sexual partners, protect themselves through vaccination”, he states, calling “for action by the Ministry of Health”.
On October 17, 2025, a case of infection with “clade Ib” mpox virus was confirmed in the laboratory at the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), constituting the first case reported in Portugal with this infection.
“Although there was an increase in cases reported by clade Ib in October 2025, compared to the average for the year 2025, the interpretation of this increase still depends on laboratory confirmation and the evolution of cases reported in the coming weeks”, states the DGS.
DGS continues to monitor the situation of new cases of mpox at national and international level and reinforces recommendations for preventive vaccination of the population at highest risk of infection.