‘Monkeypox shows signs of slowing down’: what the UK health agency said

“Officials are reporting 29 new monkeypox infections every day, while about 52 cases were reported in a day during the last week in June. In July, officials estimated the outbreak was doubling in size every two weeks. To date, over 3,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in the UK, of which over 70% of cases have been reported in London,” the UK Health Protection Agency said.

The agency also said that more than 27,000 people had been immunized with a vaccine designed against smallpox, a related disease.

“Thousands of these vaccines administered by the (National Health Service) to those at highest risk of exposure should have a significant impact on the transmission of the virus,” the agency said. It said the majority of cases were among men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men and that vaccines are being prioritized for them and their closest contacts and health workers.

The government downgraded its assessment for the disease last month after seeing no signs of continued transmission of monkeypox beyond the sexual networks of men who had sex with men.

Globally, more than 31,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in approximately 90 countries. Last month, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency and US officials classified their pandemic as a national emergency.

Outside Africa, 98% of cases occur in men who have sex with men. With only limited global supplies of vaccines, officials are racing to stop monkeypox before it establishes itself as a new disease.

Monkeypox is spread when people come into physical contact with an infected person’s wounds, close to their clothing or sheets. Most people recover without the need for treatment, but the lesions can be extremely painful and in more severe cases there can be complications, including brain swelling and death.

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