Sydney, Oct 3 || Health authorities in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, have urged people at risk of contracting mpox to get vaccinated amid a spike in cases.
New South Wales (NSW) Health on Thursday reported that there have been 433 confirmed cases of mpox in the state since June 1, the largest outbreak in NSW since its first case of the infectious disease was confirmed in May 2022.
Of those cases, 37 per cent were fully inoculated -- having received two doses of a vaccine, 14 per cent had received one dose and 46 per cent were not vaccinated, news agency reported.
"The rapidly rising numbers of mpox cases detected across the state are very concerning, with 26 people requiring hospitalisation due to the severity of their symptoms," Kerry Chant, NSW's chief health officer, said in a statement.