M-Fox Domestic Cumulative Cases Exceed 100... Encouraging Vaccination for High-Risk Groups

The cumulative number of domestic Mpox (monkeypox) cases has exceeded 100.

M-Fox archive photo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 5th that 10 additional confirmed cases occurred from the 30th of last month to the 4th of this month, bringing the total number of domestic cases to 102.

The new confirmed cases include 9 Koreans and 1 foreigner, all male. Nine of them have no overseas travel history during the incubation period, suggesting domestic infection, and the main route of transmission is sexual contact, according to the health authorities.

As of the previous day, a total of 3,438 people have received the first dose of the Mpox vaccine. The health authorities started the second dose vaccination from this day, four weeks after the first dose, and currently, 103 people have made reservations.

The health authorities encouraged vaccination for high-risk groups by sharing research results on the effectiveness of the Mpox vaccine for high-risk groups from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC announcement, the incidence rate of Mpox among unvaccinated individuals was 10 times and 7 times higher than those who received two doses and one dose of the vaccine, respectively. Among vaccinated individuals, severity, hospitalization rate, and mortality rate were all lower.

Additionally, a CDC survey conducted among high-risk groups after the Mpox outbreak showed that 48% of the high-risk group reduced the number of sexual partners, and 50% reduced the frequency of sexual contacts through one-time encounters and dating applications (apps). The health authorities urged caution regarding these behaviors and encouraged active participation in vaccination.