MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th July, 2022) A group of medical and charity directors from the United Kingdom have warned that the ongoing monkeypox outbreak could last month and become endemic, Sky news reported on Tuesday.
"It looks like we're in for an outbreak that is going to last for the rest of the year at least before it is averted," Dr John McSorley, immediate past president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, was quoted as saying by the media.
The doctor bemoaned the sluggish vaccine response of the health authorities and called for an effective distribution of smallpox vaccines in the UK.
"It is simply not acceptable to watch monkeypox become endemic in the GBMSM community (Gay, Bisexual and Men who have Sex with Men)," McSorley said.
The statement of the group echoes his message, slamming the slow vaccination rollout, poor coordination between the agencies and insufficient communication about the importance of vaccines.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), in turn, told Sky News that the UK has enough vaccines and that the National Health Service is solely responsible for delays in organizing vaccinations.
As of Monday, the UK had 1,735 confirmed monkeypox cases, UKHSA said.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is usually transmitted to people from wild animals and is endemic in some African countries. Monkeypox can be transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The disease usually results in fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
The UKHSA was the first health authority in Europe to publicly report a case of monkeypox on May 7, in a patient who recently traveled from Nigeria. Since then, cases of monkeypox have also been confirmed in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.
