LOS ANGELES — With local, state and national officials declaring emergencies over the monkeypox outbreak and a scramble for vaccines spurring long lines — and waits — in many U.S. cities, the latest updates about the rare virus can seem overwhelming and, well, confusing.
But experts say it's important to remember that monkeypox is a known disease that is rarely deadly (unlike the coronavirus) and already has an approved vaccine and treatment.
That's not to say there aren't real concerns about the outbreak, including a vaccine shortage, rapidly rising infections and the fact that one community — men who have sex with men — remains most at-risk.
