Does the MMR vaccine protect against monkeypox?
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine can protect against chicken pox, but not against monkey pox.
The two diseases are caused by unrelated viruses: the orthopox virus for monkeypox and the varicella-zoster for chickenpox; so the likelihood of a vaccine for one disease giving you protection for the other is very low.
Will the small pox vaccine protect against monkey pox?
The small pox vaccine is estimated to protect against monkey pox in 85% of cases.
The monkeypox virus is closely related to the variola virus which causes smallpox, whereas chickenpox virus is related to the herpes simplex virus.
However, all is not lost as the World Health Organisation on their website has stated that several observational studies have shown the smallpox vaccine to be 85% effective against monkeypox.
The American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in fact advises travellers to use the smallpox vaccine to protect themselves until a vaccine for the orthopox virus is released to the public.
How else can I protect against monkey pox?
Avoid contact with any persons who have contracted monkey pox.
If you contract monkey pox, contact your local clinic or hospital by phone immediately.
Make sure your expat health insurance plan is up-to-date.
What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to but milder than the symptoms of smallpox. Monkeypox begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. The main difference between symptoms of smallpox and monkeypox is that monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy) while smallpox does not. The incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for monkeypox is usually 7−14 days but can range from 5−21 days.
The illness begins with:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body.
Lesions progress through the following stages before falling off:
- Macules
- Papules
- Vesicles
- Pustules
- Scabs
The illness typically lasts for 2−4 weeks.
How many cases of monkeypox has there been?
There have been 257 cases confirmed worldwide by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 12 cases in eight states as of Friday afternoon 28th May.
In five African countries where monkeypox is commonly found, the WHO said it has received reports of 1,365 cases and 69 deaths due to the virus. These illnesses were reported in various periods ranging from mid-December to late May.
| Country | Number of Cases |
| United Kingdom | 179 |
| Spain | 120 |
| Portugal | 96 |
| Canada | 26 |
| Netherlands | 26 |
| Germany | 25 |
| France | 17 |
| United States | 15 |
| Italy | 12 |
| Belgium | 9 |
| Czech Republic | 5 |
| Switzerland | 4 |
| United Arab Emirates | 4 |
| Sweden | 4 |
| Australia | 2 |
| Israel | 2 |
| Argentina | 2 |
| Denmark | 2 |
| Slovenia | 2 |
| Ireland | 2 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Finland | 1 |
| Malta | 1 |
| Mexico | 1 |
You can see the latest results in this worldwide monkeypox tracker.
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