WHO "not concerned" about monkeypox becoming pandemic

Key Facts

World May 30, 2022 / 1:03 PM / CBS News U.S. has vaccines for monkeypox outbreak U.S. officials prepare to release monkeypox vaccines as more cases emerge 05:07 The monkeypox virus is rarely seen outside of Africa, so the recent outbreak of cases worldwide has caused concern among global health experts.
"We are concerned that individuals may acquire this infection through high-risk exposure if they don't have the information they need to protect themselves," Lewis said, "and we are concerned that because the global population is not immune to orthopoxviruses since the end of smallpox eradication, that the virus may attempt to exploit a niche and spread more easily between people.
"We don't have a lot of information on what the genomes of the viruses being detected in this multi-country outbreak are really telling us yet, that is already discussion that is happening in circles of virologists working together and looking at these things."
According to Reuters, the WHO is considering whether to designate monkeypox as a "potential public health emergency of international concern," which would accelerate research and funding to contain it.