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What are Spain’s plans for the monkeypox vaccine?

Monkeypox cases are currently on the rise in Spain. Here's everything you need to know about the government's monkeypox vaccine rollout, from who will receive it to how to request it.

Published: 23 August 2022 11:56 CEST
What are Spain's plans for the monkeypox vaccine?
What are Spain's plans for the monkeypox vaccine? Photo: FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP

Spain has 6,119 confirmed cases of monkeypox, according to the most recent data released on August 19th by the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE), coordinated by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

Infections continue to grow in Spain and it is currently the country with the most cases per inhabitant in the EU.

The monkeypox vaccination campaign began at the end of July 2022 and is currently being ramped up because of the rise in infections. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Spain’s monkeypox inoculation plans. 

Who is at risk from monkeypox?

Although around 80 percent of the cases in Spain have been detected in gay men, it is important to stress that it can affect either gender and any sexual orientation.

Currently in Spain, 6,009 of those infected are men and 110 are women. Age ranges from 10 months to 88 years, with a median age of 37 years.

It is not a sexually transmitted disease and like Covid-19 it can be passed on by having direct or close contact with an infected person.

Children and pregnant women are also reportedly at a higher risk of having complications from contracting monkeypox. 

READ ALSO: How Spain’s gay community has taken action as monkeypox spreads

Who will receive the monkeypox vaccine in Spain?

Currently, the monkeypox vaccine is only being administered in two doses to those who have come into direct contact with an infected person, those who are likely to and those who are at risk of being infected. 

It is being offered to people between the ages of 18 and 45 who have multiple sexual partners.

To be able to request the vaccine you must not have previously received it, not have already had monkeypox, not have been in contact with a confirmed case within the previous ten days, or have symptoms consistent with monkeypox.

Currently, only the first doses are being administered, but if there are enough doses to go around, second shots will be given four weeks after the first.

How will the monkeypox vaccine be administered in Spain?

The vaccine has been administered in two doses, however, on Monday August 22nd Spain’s Public Health Commission approved that each monkeypox vaccine will be divided into five doses. This is a temporary measure to help deal with the current health crisis.

It means that instead of injecting 0.5 millilitres of serum in one dose, 0.1ml will be injected. However, pregnant women and the immunosuppressed will still be given the 0.5ml dose.

This new measure means that Spain will be able to vaccinate five times the number of people than it can now.

Spanish health authorities will have the capacity to administer 50,000 doses in the short term.

How can I request the monkeypox vaccine in Spain? 

If you meet the requirements above, you can request your monkeypox shot by contacting your local health centre.

The availability or wait time will depend on what region of Spain you live in. 

In Madrid for example, you can request an appointment for the vaccine online by clicking here. There are however reports on August 23rd that the rollout has been temporarily suspended in the Spanish capital.

In Barcelona, it is being offered at three centres – BCN Checkpoint, Clínic de Barcelona and Unitat d’ITS Drassanes-Vall d’Hebron. 

Will getting the monkeypox vaccine stop me from getting the virus?

No. As with the Covid vaccine, the monkeypox vaccine will not stop you from contracting the virus, but it does help limit some of the symptoms and the severity of the disease.  

How effective is the monkeypox vaccine?

Dr. Rosamund Lewis, WHO’s technical lead for monkeypox, said in early August that “we have known from the beginning that this vaccine would not be a silver bullet, that it would not meet all the expectations that are being put on it and that we don’t have firm efficacy data or effectiveness data in this context”.

“The fact that we’re beginning to see some breakthrough cases is also really important information because it tells us that the vaccine is not 100 percent effective in any given circumstance, whether preventive or post-exposure,” Lewis added.

“We cannot expect 100 percent effectiveness at the moment based on this emerging information.”

A study carried out in 1988 among patients’ contacts showed that the smallpox vaccine was 86 percent effective at preventing monkeypox.

Olivier Schwartz, head of the virus and immunity unit at France’s Pasteur Institute said regarding this that “the vaccine protection figure of 85 percent dates from field studies in the 1980s and 1990s in DR Congo and is quite approximate”.

The vaccination being used to combat monkeypox in Spain is Imvanex, a vaccine used to protect against smallpox in adults.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency and it has been detected in 87 countries. 

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BRITS IN SPAIN

Six factors British people need to consider before retiring to Spain

If you're a UK national and thinking of retiring to Spain, there are some important factors you need to think about before making the move, and before you make any decisions about your UK pension.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:59 CEST
Six factors British people need to consider before retiring to Spain

Retiring to Spain is a dream for many, but in order to make that dream a reality, you need to know that you can financially support yourself.

For most retirees, their main or only income will be a UK pension, so it’s important to understand how your pension will work once you make the move to Spain. 

There are some specific rules and restrictions you should know when your pension is paid outside of the UK. You also need to understand how your pension will be taxed in Spain.

Financial adviser, Maeve Hoffman, from Spectrum IFA Group, emphasised that people should not take these decisions lightly, telling The Local: “Figuring out what to do with your pension should be part of your wider financial plans for your life”.

“This may be your most important asset, besides your home, and the best answer for what to do with your pension is highly individual. There are no sweeping generalisations when it comes to advice on private pensions. Everyone’s situation is different,” she said.

This article is intended as an overview of how the system works for UK pensioners and is not intended as a substitute for individual financial advice. It’s aimed at people who have worked most or all of their career in the UK and then plan on retiring to Spain – the situation is slightly different for people who have worked in Spain and then retire here.

READ ALSO: Which UK benefits can Brits keep if they move to Spain?

Long-term or short-term

The first thing you need to decide is if you’re moving Spain for the long-term or short-term. 

If you’re looking to stay here permanently, there are certain advantages you can benefit from, but they could make things extra complicated if you end up returning to the UK in the future.

Make sure you ask yourself the tough questions so you can think about every eventuality. Is there a chance that you will have grandchildren in the future that you’ll want to be close to them? Have you ever spent a significant time in Spain, before, apart from just for short holidays? Do you have connections to Spain, such as friends, family or a home? If your health deteriorates, will you want to be cared for in Spain or the UK?

If are unsure about the answers to these questions, then take some time to really think about them. There are alternatives to permanently moving to Spain if you are unsure – for example, you can stay here for three months without the need for a visa.

Understand the different tax rules

British retirees should be aware that the UK and Spain have very different tax systems.

Once you become a tax resident in Spain you have to file a yearly declaration on your global income. Your UK pension will be taxed in Spain and you will no longer be liable to UK taxation, unless you have a government service pension.

You can check if your pension is classified as ‘government’ here.

The UK state pension, as well as any other private pensions, will be taxable in Spain.

Because of this, will want to think about whether your previous plans for your private pension were only advantageous to you as a UK resident. Once you become a Spanish tax resident, they could have unforeseen implications.

For example, there is no tax-free lump sum in Spain. If you want to take out a lump sum, taking it while you are still a UK resident will save you a lot in tax.

Taxes also depend on the region in which you decide to retire to. Some are a lot more advantageous than others, so it’s important you know the rules of where you plan on moving to. 

READ ALSO: Why you should move to this region in Spain if you want to pay less tax

Get reliable, expert financial advice before doing anything

If you have decided you want to be in Spain permanently, then you will need some expert tax and pension advice – but you need to be careful who you take advice from, this is a highly specialist area and it’s unlikely that high street financial advisers will have the knowledge that you need. 

Brexit has also made getting financial advice more complicated, with fewer experts available.

Hoffman told The Local: “Because of Brexit, you cannot use a UK-based financial adviser anymore – you have to use an EU-registered one. This has made things more complicated. When picking an adviser, seek out someone who has expertise on the local taxation rules. They should also be regulated with the financial regulator where you live and where they work”. 

It can be especially complicated to work out who you should and shouldn’t take advice from – for example, some UK-based advisers have continued to give advice to EU-based clients, even though are not following EU regulations anymore. 

Hoffman adds: “There are free, government-based services in the UK that can help you understand your private pension – Pension Wise and Money Helper. Before doing anything, you should consult the free services. Any financial adviser worth their salt would recommend this too. 

“These services have begun to have longer wait times, so be sure to book well in advance of when you plan to draw from your pension.”

Decide whether to transfer your pension

Another question that is important for Brits to think about is whether or not to transfer their pension into either a UK-based SIPP for non-residents, or a QROPS (Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes).

The SIPP will keep your pension in the UK, while the QROPS moves it out of the UK. 

These options can be helpful for residents in Spain, but you need to familiarise yourself with their benefits and drawbacks.

“The QROPS is not for someone who is unsure of their future, as if you return to the UK within five years of the pension transfer, HMRC will seek their tax back as if it was a full encashment,” Hoffman said.

You should also beware of scams on this subject, as the post-Brexit period saw many scammers seeking to persuade Brits that it was now mandatory to transfer their UK pension – always be wary of any cold-calling or unsolicited financial advice.

Determine how you will draw from your pension

The next factor to consider is how you want to receive your pension – either as regular income or as a lump sum. The option that you chose will have tax implications in Spain.

Generally, the tax rate will depend on the amount of your pension, but can range from 19 to 47 percent in Spain.

Remember that there is no ‘tax-free lump sum’ in Spain, so it’s best that you don’t draw from your pension that way.

Healthcare and Social Security

You won’t automatically be covered for healthcare in Spain if you retire here, because you won’t be working and therefore won’t be paying social security.

Thankfully, there are various options. UK nationals who retire to Spain (and have never worked in Spain) and have already reached the state pension age can apply for the S1. This means that the UK continues to pay for their healthcare costs and they would not be charged social security. Non-working spouses of an S1 holder can also benefit from this.

READ ALSO – Healthcare in Spain: the steps to apply for the S1 form for UK state pensioners

You can also choose to pay for the convenio especial (which translates to ‘special agreement’). This allows foreigners in Spain to pay a monthly sum into the country’s public health system to have access to it, even if they don’t work. To access it, you will pay a monthly fee of €60 if you are under 65 and €157 if you are over 65. 

Of course, you also have the option of getting private health insurance too.

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