Hong Kong will launch a monkeypox vaccination programme for "high-risk groups" from Oct. 5 following the discovery of an imported case of monkeypox this month, the city's Department of Health said on Wednesday.

Those groups include healthcare workers, laboratory personnel and people with "high-risk sexual practices" such as sex workers, it said. The government expects about 120,000 people will be able to receive a vaccine. (Reporting by Twinnie Siu and Marius Zaharia; editing by Andrew Heavens)