Joe Biden says monkeypox is ‘something to be concerned about’ as cases rise

Joe Biden has described monkeypox as 'something to be concerned about' as more cases are identified in Europe. The president was asked about the disease as he spoke to reporters at Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he visited troops before taking off for Japan to continue his trip in Asia.

He said: “It is a concern in that if it were to spread it would be consequential. They haven’t told me the level of exposure yet but it is something that everybody should be concerned about.

He added that work is under way to determine what vaccine might be effective. Jake Sullivan, Mr Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters on board a flight to Tokyo that the US has a supply of “vaccine that is relevant to treating monkeypox”.

READ MORE: Monkeypox cases in UK more than double to 20

“We have vaccine available to be deployed for that purpose,” he said. Mr Sullivan added that Mr Biden was getting regular updates on the outbreak.

Monkeypox is rarely identified outside of Africa but as of Friday (May 20), there were 80 confirmed cases worldwide - including at least two in the US and another 50 suspected ones.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also confirmed that 11 new cases of Monkeypox have been found in the UK. Although the disease belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, its symptoms are milder.

Speaking on Sunday, Dr Susan Hopkins, a chief medical adviser of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said there is “absolutely” community transmission of monkeypox in the UK.

She also said cases have been predominantly confirmed in individuals who self-identify as gay or bisexual.

Speaking to BBC One’s Sunday Morning, she said: “Absolutely, we are finding cases that have no identified contact with an individual from