As global monkeypox cases spread, there are plenty of questions about how people can protect themselves. The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global emergency over the weekend, since the virus that for decades was limited to parts of central and west Africa has now spread to more than 70 countries.
More than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States has identified more than 2,800 cases of monkeypox across 44 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico in 2022. While health experts are concerned about these cases, officials from WHO and the CDC have also said that “this is not COVID” all over again. “We need to slow it down, but it does not spread in the air and we have vaccines to protect against it,” said Dr. David Heymann, a leading WHO adviser. Read more: Monkeypox declared a global emergency by World Health Organization The U.S. has released the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine, made by Bavarian Nordic
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from its national stockpile to help prevent the virus from spreading. And the government has purchased more than 1.1 million more doses, which should soon begin shipping to the U.S. Here is what else you need to know about monkeypox:What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that occurs mostly in central and western Africa, and was first identified in lab monkeys in 1958. The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus originated from wild animals like rodents and non-human primates (such as its namesake, monkeys), according to the CDC website, and it is part of the same virus genus as smallpox. What are the monkeypox …