Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has confirmed that the HSE has secured vaccines to help protect people against monkeypox.
It comes as the first confirmed case of monkeypox that has been identified in the State.
The infection was reported in the east of the country on Friday night and the person affected was not kept in hospital.
A further suspected case is also being investigated, and test results are being awaited, health officials said.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the HSE has acquired supplies of a third-generation smallpox vaccine.
“The public health advice from the public health doctors I’m talking to are very much taking monkeypox within the stride of normal public health measures,” Mr. Donnelly said.
“The HSE, as you would expect, and public health have put in place the incident management team. They have isolation procedures, they have test and trace procedures in place.
“While it is quite a sobering name, monkeypox, the advice I have is that for the overwhelming number of people the symptoms are quite mild.”
Mr. Donnelly said the HSE has acquired supplies of a third-generation smallpox vaccine. He also confirmed that the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) had recommended the vaccine be offered to healthcare workers caring for monkeypox patients and high-risk close contact with those cases.