ANKARA

The EU has secured an additional 54,530 doses of monkeypox vaccines in response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak, a senior EU official said on Monday.

"Health Preparedness and Response Authority, has secured an additional 54,530 doses of the company Bavarian Nordic's 3rd generation vaccine, now bringing the total number of doses purchased for Member States to respond to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak to 163,620," the EU said in a statement.

It noted that deliveries of the monkeypox vaccines will continue over the coming weeks and months and throughout the remainder of the year to Norway and Iceland as well as EU member states.

In a statement, Stella Kyriakides, the commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said she is "concerned" by the growing number of cases in the bloc.

"We now have over 7,000 cases in the EU, an almost 50% increase since a week ago. We have reacted swiftly and ensured a rapid response through the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and have already delivered around 25 000 doses to 6 Member States," she added.

Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus. It could begin with fever, enlarged lymph nodes, back pain, and muscle aches before a rash appears on the skin.

Last week, World Health Organization head Tedros Ghebreyesus said he is concerned that coronavirus cases and deaths are climbing, stretching health systems, while monkeypox is also rising with 9,200 cases reported in 63 countries.