Monkeypox in Europe: Where it is and how authorities are reacting

Key Facts

World Updated on: May 26, 2022 / 7:54 AM / CBS News U.S. has vaccines for monkeypox outbreak U.S. officials prepare to release monkeypox vaccines as more cases emerge 05:07 London — The European Union's infectious disease agency has recommended that EU member states review the availability of smallpox vaccines in their countries for possible prophylactic use in the face of rising monkeypox cases.
In a report published Monday, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the smallpox vaccine could be considered as a prophylaxis, or preventative measure, for those who have been exposed to monkeypox, but that individual risks and benefits should be assessed and "important information on the use of currently available smallpox vaccines is missing for groups at increased risk for severe disease."
"The way smallpox was eradicated was not through mass vaccination of everybody, but what we call ring vaccination, where you identify who has monkeypox, or in the old days smallpox, who has been in contact with them, and you vaccinate all those people who have been in contact - not the general public," infectious disease specialist Dr. Celine Gounder told CBS News on Tuesday.
The ECDC says "monkeypox does not spread easily between people" and that most cases in the current outbreak have had mild disease symptoms, though there is thought to be a risk of more severe disease in some vulnerable groups, including pregnant and immunosuppressed people and young children.