WHO official comments on spread of Monkeypox to general public

The risk of the Monkeypox for the general public appears to be low, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told journalists. 

"From what we know about this virus and the modes of transmission, this outbreak is containable. WHO has issued guidance to help countries contain the spread,” he said.

According to him, Monkeypox can affect anyone and is not associated with any particular group of people: "While some of the cases have been reported among people with close and sexual contact, this virus can affect anyone. It is wrong to stigmatize anyone. ”

"Vaccination against smallpox has been shown to be protective against monkeypox,” he added. "Populations worldwide under the age of 40 or 50 years no longer benefit from the protection afforded by prior smallpox vaccination programmes. A new vaccine against smallpox and Monkeypox has been approved but is not yet widely available outside the national stockpiles.”

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