Australia secures 450,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine

Australia on Thursday said the country has secured hundreds of thousands of doses of monkeypox vaccine after reporting dozens of cases.

According to the Health Minister Mark Butler, the government has secured 450,000 doses of the world's best third-generation monkeypox vaccine.

"We are one of only a limited number of countries that has secured supply in a highly contested market," he tweeted.

"The first delivery of around 22,000 doses will arrive in Australia later this week. The remainder will arrive later this year and in 2023," said Butler.

So far, Australia has reported 53 confirmed and probable cases of the disease.

Monkeypox, declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, its highest level of alert, is predominantly spread through sexual contact, skin-to-skin contact, as well as sharing bedding, towels, and clothing, according to health officials.

Symptoms of the virus include a rash, malaise, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, in addition to chills, headaches, and muscle pain.

Confirmed cases of the viral disease have crossed 25,000 in 76 countries where it is not endemic, according to the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.