PETALING JAYA, Sept 27 — The first shipment of the mpox antiviral drug Tecovirimat has arrived in Malaysia, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dzulkefly said the medication would be reserved for high-risk individuals, particularly those suffering from severe diseases or with weakened immune systems.

The health minister also revealed that Putrajaya had finalised an agreement for an mpox vaccine, with the delivery expected soon. He noted that the vaccine would similarly be prioritised for high-risk groups.

Dzulkefly added that no new mpox cases had been reported over the past week, although monitoring efforts remain in place.

The most recent case was detected on September 16, where the patient tested positive for the Clade 2 sub-variant of the virus.

The patient first showed symptoms, including fever, sore throat, and cough on September 11, followed by the appearance of a rash the next day.

There was no record of international travel in the 21 days prior to the onset of symptoms.

The health ministry stated that the patient was placed in isolation and is in stable condition. His close contacts have been identified and are under health monitoring.