MONKEYPOX has now reached 2,000 cases, with a 15% increase over the past three days.
The UK Health and Security Agency has secured 100,000 more vaccine doses in an effort to control the outbreak.
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Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Monkeypox is a rare and usually mild disease that does not spread easily between people.
“But, we are taking actions to further manage the outbreak in Britain by procuring more than 100,000 doses of vaccine.
“The NHS is already contacting those eligible for the vaccine, and I would urge people to take up the offer as soon as they are contacted.
“In the meantime, please contact a sexual health clinic if you notice any unusual rashes or lesions.”
It is mild, and usually causes flu-like symptoms like a high fever, headache, muscle aches, and muscle pains. Then, the virus can cause a rash on the face.
It looks just like chickenpox until it turns into blisters.
As of July 18, the virus was confirmed in 2137 people, after an unusual outbreak that began at the end May.
Most cases are found in England (2.050), especially London (1.492).
Experts are puzzled by the recent spike in cases of monkeypox outside Africa. Monkeypox has been a major cause of outbreaks across Africa for many decades.
Monkeypox can be contracted by anyone, but the majority of cases are still in gay or bisexual men.
People at highest risk of getting monkeypox are given vaccines, such as people living with patients.
In some cases, gay and bisexual men may also be offered a vaccine if they are involved in sex parties with multiple partners.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam is Head of Immunisation at UKHSA. “Although most cases of monkeypox in the current outbreak are mild, severe illness can occur in some people, so it is important we use the available vaccine to reach groups where transmission is occurring.”
Dr Merav Kliner, Deputy Incident Director at UKHSA, said: “We have now passed over 2,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the UK, and the outbreak continues to grow.
“Based on the growing evidence of how the monkeypox virus is being passed on in this outbreak, close contacts will no longer have to isolate for 21 days unless they develop symptoms.
“While our advice on isolation is changing, monkeypox is still a serious public health challenge, and we urge contacts to take a break from any activities or events involving skin to skin contact.”
Monkeypox can be spread from one person to the next by touching, kissing and hugging.
Monkeypox cannot be transmitted sexually.
It can also be caught by touching the scabs or bed sheets of the person with the bug.
It comes after the UKHSA warned that monkeypox patients should use condoms for 12 weeks after they’ve had the bug.
According to the agency, there are a “body of evidence”Monkeypox can be seen in the urine of those infected.