Thai authorities say 12 people who were in contact with monkeypox are low-risk

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control says 12 people who came into contact with a confirmed monkeypox patient earlier this week are low-risk, since they don’t have symptoms. A passenger with monkeypox was in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport for 2 hours before he caught a flight to Australia, where he was confirmed to have the virus.

The DDC said today that there were no confirmed cases of monkeypox in Thailand so far. Still, the director of the DDC’s epidemiology division said the 12 people will be monitored for 21 days. The director, Dr. Chakkarat Pitayawonganon, said the DDC would monitor the situation to decide if they should distribute vaccines to medical staff. He said if monkeypox spreads, then vaccines must be distributed.

Chakkarat said that if monkeypox doesn’t spread, then side-effects from vaccines might be more serious than the risk of being unvaccinated. He…