The monkeypox outbreak has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation following a surge in cases. The decision for the body to trigger its highest alert for the disease comes as it has spread to more than 70 countries.
As of July 18, there were 2,137 confirmed cases in the UK, including a suspected case in Newark, 2,050 were recorded in England and the majority in London.
Declaring a global emergency means the Monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response. The WHO previously declared emergencies for public health crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus in Latin America in 2016 and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.
Read more: First suspected monkeypox case recorded in Nottinghamshire
The emergency declaration mostly serves as a plea to draw more global resources and attention to an outbreak. While anyone can get Monkeypox, the majority of cases in the UK continue to be in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Vaccination experts have recommended that gay and bisexual men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox should be offered the smallpox vaccine Imvanex.
While the vaccine is available across England, London will receive additional doses of the existing supply in an effort to break chains of transmission as quickly as possible. NHS England said thousands more people who are eligible in the capital will now be contacted about getting their jab as plans are scaled up and more supply becomes available.
READ NEXT:
Family of baby girl with leukaemia offering £20,000 for successful stem cell match in Nottingham
Nearly 500 Nottingham patients waited over 12 hours in A&E for ward bed last month
Passengers speak out amid call for masks to be reintroduced on Nottingham trams
Nottinghamshire woman 'gained her life back' after 6 stone weightloss in a year
