UK says monkeypox outbreak ‘showing signs of slowing’ | World News

LONDON (AP) — British health officials say the nationwide monkeypox outbreak is “showing signs of slowing,” but it’s too early to tell whether the downward trend will continue.

Authorities are reporting about 29 new monkeypox infections a day, compared with about 52 a day in the last week of June, the Health Security Agency said in a statement on Monday. In July, officials estimated that the size of the outbreak was doubling roughly every two weeks.

More than 3,000 cases of monkeypox have been recorded in the UK so far, with more than 70% of them occurring in London.

The agency also said more than 27,000 people received a vaccine designed against smallpox, a related disease.

“These thousands of vaccines, administered by the (National Health Service) to those at highest risk of exposure, should have a significant impact on the spread of the virus,” the agency said.

It said the vast majority of cases were among men who were gay, bisexual or had sex with other men, and that the vaccine was given priority to them and their closest contacts and health workers.

Last month, the UK downgraded its assessment of monkeypox outbreaks after finding no signs of persistent monkeypox transmission outside MSM’s sexual network; 99% of infections in the UK are in men.

British authorities said they bought 150,000 doses of the vaccine made by the world’s sole supplier, Bavarian Nordic. The first 50,000 doses of the vaccine have been rolled out or will soon be shared with clinics across the country, with the next 100,000 doses expected to be delivered in September.

Monkeypox spreads when people have close physical contact with the foci, clothing or sheets of an infected person. Most people recover without treatment, but lesions can be very painful, and more severe cases can lead to complications, including brain inflammation and death.

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