EU set to purchase 110,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine

The European Union is set to buy 110,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine, with a deal for the purchase set to be signed on Tuesday, according to EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

The first doses should be available by the end of the month. So far, there have been 900 recorded cases of the disease in EU territory, said Kyriakides, adding that about 1,400 have been logged worldwide.

Although the disease has circulated in Africa for years, it has caused an international stir with its recent outbreak in multiple countries where it has never been seen before. The disease is spread through physical contact and medical officials say the outbreak seems to be concentrated among men who have had sexual contact with multiple other men.

Germany, for example, is considering preventive vaccinations for anyone considered to be at a high risk of coming into contact with the disease, including technicians in specialized laboratories.

Although the disease can be deadly, it is treatable and usually survived, albeit with a phase of bothersome skin outbreaks. Still, health authorities are trying to arrest its spread.