Monday morning, 17 July 2023, Barcelona, Spain. Another hot day is about to begin. It follows a busy weekend that saw hundreds of thousands of people come together for the Barcelona Pride Parade – a riot of colour, music and dance that calls for LGBTQI+ rights.
Some of the Pride festival-goers are here this morning at Barcelona Checkpoint, a community-based centre that supports gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), and transgender women, focusing on the detection of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The centre also works closely with the health authorities.
Today at the centre, about 50 people will get vaccinated against mpox (monkeypox), a disease that in the current global outbreak has been affecting predominantly GBMSM. “Mpox cases are much lower now in Spain [compared to last summer]. But we have never stopped the mpox vaccinations and are seeing an ongoing demand,” says Angel Rivero Calaf, Barcelona Checkpoint’s Medical Director.
Rivero Calaf continues, “Many people want to complete the mpox vaccine series and are coming for the second dose. We are vaccinating everyone who is affected, including sex workers or migrants who might or might not have a medical card.”
“Mpox vaccination is vital”
Santiago Curtido is from Paraguay, and came to Barcelona to complete his studies in educational management about a year ago. Today, he is at Barcelona Checkpoint for his second mpox vaccine dose. Courteous and soft-spoken, Curtido says that he has been concerned about mpox, but since getting his first dose at the end of May, he’s been feeling more secure.
He explains, “I think mpox vaccination is vital. It’s important that people at risk get vaccinated and are not afraid of vaccination. I was in Paraguay when I first heard about mpox. Once in Barcelona, I got more information and found out about the possibility of getting vaccinated through Barcelona Checkpoint.”
Curtido adds that he has been impressed by the array of health and community-based services and resources in his new town.
A French national, Nicolas Ricchini came to Barcelona for a training course. He fell in love with the city and decided to stay. That was 15 years ago. A professional dancer, he travels a lot with his dance company in and outside of Europe.
Ricchini has not had mpox and does not know anyone who has had it either. He admits that he has not been that concerned about mpox, but his life recently changed – he is no longer married – and he believes it is important to get vaccinated to protect himself and others.
Today, he is at Barcelona Checkpoint for his first mpox vaccine dose, and will come back for the second dose in about a month’s time.
“It’s okay wanting to go on with one’s life, but it’s important to do it with care, and be considerate towards one’s and others’ health,” he says. “We don’t know how mpox will evolve, so prevention is key. It’s also important to continue to convey that mpox is still here, and for people to know that there are solutions to tackle this disease.”
Ricchini adds, “People speak less about it now. This is why I think it’s important to continue having campaigns on mpox, targeting especially younger people.”
Summer events, travel and mpox
Gustavo Moina, who is at the centre for his first mpox vaccine dose, explains, “There are a lot of events and people travel more during the summer. Here, the Barcelona Circuit event will start soon and we will have more contacts, so it’s important to stay alert and protect yourself and others. Since vaccines are available and can help us lower the risk of getting infected and passing on mpox, why not benefit from this?”
Moina is well spoken and his voice fills with passion when talking about the GBMSM community. His message to health institutions? “It’s important that health institutions understand that our community has needs – that they need to support us as we are also citizens and people with rights. When the mpox outbreak started, our community raised its voice to get the support we needed. Yet we shouldn’t be listened to only when we raise our voice, but on every day of the year.”
Moina points out, “Even if this community is impacted by this disease the most, it doesn’t mean that this health issue was generated by the community. The best solution to tackle mpox is access to information and vaccination.”
His message to his wider community is equally direct: “I encourage everyone to get vaccinated.”
“The health of one person can impact the health of a community”
Back at Barcelona Checkpoint, people continue to arrive for mpox vaccination. The staff is welcoming and easy-going, and if visitors have any hesitation or fear, those seem to quickly fall away.
Michael Meulbroek, Barcelona Checkpoint’s President, remarks that what impressed him the most during the height of the mpox outbreak was his staff’s attitude. “They already had their hands full, and then mpox came. With mpox, it wasn’t just about attending to people’s physical needs but their emotional needs too – to alleviate the anxiety people could feel towards these new circumstances in their lives.”
Meulbroek reflects, “We haven’t lost one moment. When vaccines started being available, the day we received them we would call and make appointments, and the next day we would administer the vaccines. We are the only community-based centre to offer mpox vaccination in Catalonia.”
Things have changed since last summer, but Barcelona Checkpoint is not complacent. “When mpox cases went down, people started feeling more relaxed. But we need to stay alert. Our message continues to be: come and get vaccinated, come for the second vaccine dose, and just know that mpox is still here. We need to continue creating awareness since the health of one person can impact the health of a community,” says Meulbroek.
Mpox: where are we now?
While mpox cases are low now in the WHO European Region, mpox has not gone away, and some countries have seen a rise in cases. Progress towards eliminating mpox is at risk if we turn away.
WHO/Europe, through its campaign “Eliminating mpox: Placing affected populations at the heart of our response”, urges countries to provide sustained resources, increase vigilance and lower barriers to vaccination and treatment so that mpox can be controlled and eventually eliminated in the Region.
To reach that goal, the work of community-based organizations such as Barcelona Checkpoint continues to be vital.