The Department of Health (DOH) stated on Friday that talks with the US government to get monkeypox vaccinations were still underway, as the Philippines registered its first case of the sickness.

Undersecretary Beverly Ho, DOH’s alternative spokesman, stated that just a subset of the population will be required to get vaccinated.

“Well, now our discussions are ongoing. I think we have mentioned it in our previous press conferences, we are working with the US government to secure the vaccines,” Ho said during a press conference in Malacañang.

“There is not a lot that is available in the market also, that it is only a select population group that will have to be vaccinated. Again, it is not like COVID that all of us need to be vaccinated,” she added.

Last June, US health officials said that 56,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine will be provided instantly to regions of high transmission, five times the quantity delivered has been as a part of a major escalation of the country’s immunization campaign.

Only people with verified exposures should be administered monkeypox vaccinations, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

However, a DOH official stated that surveillance measures were in place. She also warned the general population to be watchful.

“There is a very clear need to be more careful who we interact with, particularly sexual intimate contact,” Ho said. “We are working closely with those population groups so that they will have better preparation, risk perception that this is a disease that will probably concern them more than the general population.”

According to the DOH, monkeypox is a virus that is spread to people by direct contact with an infected person or animal, or through contaminated objects.

The World Health Organization (WHO) already labeled the monkeypox outbreak, which has infected almost 16,000 individuals in 72 countries, a global health emergency, the highest level of alert.

According to a statistic issued on July 20 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox has afflicted over 15,800 persons in 72 countries.

From early May, there has been an increase in monkeypox cases outside of the West and Central African nations where the illness has long been prevalent.

Meanwhile, during the first five days of monkeypox symptoms include fever, headaches, muscular soreness, and back pain.

Rashes emerge on the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet next, followed by sores, patches, and, lastly, scabs.