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A colored micrograph of particles of the monkeypox virus - which according to the WHO should now have a different name
Photo: Niaid / dpa
Experts warn that monkeypox's current name could be discriminatory for the continent of Africa with which the animals are often associated.
That is why the World Health Organization (WHO) has now renamed the disease: "mpox".
Both terms should be mentioned in parallel for one year to avoid confusion.
The organization announces that the naming in different languages was discussed intensively.
"Mpox" could be used in other languages besides English.
There has been an international outbreak of the viral disease since May 2022.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 3,672 cases were reported in Germany, and the numbers have been falling since August.
According to the RKI, only single-digit case numbers have been reported per week since mid-October.
According to a new study, the only vaccine against monkeypox that has been approved so far offers “strong protection” against the disease with the first dose.
Two weeks after the first dose, the vaccine is estimated to be 78 percent effective, said the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
"We now know that a first dose of vaccine provides strong protection against monkeypox," said Jamie Lopez-Bernal, an epidemiologist at the agency.
The findings are based on a study of 363 cases of monkeypox in England between July and November.
According to the authority, it is the "strongest British evidence to date" for the effectiveness of the vaccine.
The vaccine is a vaccine from the German-Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, which is also used in Germany.
A second vaccination is given 28 days after the first dose.
"A second dose can be expected to provide even greater and longer-lasting protection," Lopez-Bernal said.
wbr
