Monkeypox

The monkeypox outbreak currently traveling around the globe is the largest ever recorded outside of western and central Africa.

In light of the current monkeypox outbreak, you may soon be hearing more about ring vaccination. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. (The US smallpox vaccination program was discontinued in 1972, and smallpox was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980.) It may come in handy for monkeypox as well. Of course, vaccinations can only work if people are willing to receive them. At this time, the threat to the general public is not high. If monkeypox is spread by sexual contact, the rash may show up first on or near the genitals. One method of vaccination, called ring vaccination, has worked well in the past to contain smallpox and Ebola outbreaks. This approach requires widespread awareness of monkeypox, rapid isolation of suspected cases, and an efficient contact tracing system. This selective approach is called ring vaccination. People who received a smallpox vaccine in the past may have some protection from monkeypox. By now, you’ve probably heard that there is a monkeypox outbreak traveling around the globe.