Monkeypox Vaccine: What To Expect

By Kelly Stewart

The World Health Organization officially declared the current monkeypox outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on July 23rd, 2022. With more than 38,000 confirmed cases and limiting testing sites, it’s hard to say with certainty how widespread monkeypox is.

Monkeypox (MPXV) is an orthopoxvirus that is pathological and affects both animals and plants. It’s part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, which is the same virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox spreads through close contact with an infected person, animal, or material contaminated with the virus.

Currently, there is no specific monkeypox vaccine. However, recent studies show that smallpox vaccines offer some protection against monkeypox because the two viruses are genetically similar. Continue reading to learn more about the potential for a true monkey pox vaccine could be manufactured.