TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan on Tuesday (Aug. 8) reported seven new local Mpox (monkeypox) cases, bringing the total to 266, including 250 local infections.

The new cases were all male Taiwanese citizens aged 20 to those in their 40s. The patients started to develop symptoms like fever, swollen lymph nodes, and blistering rash between July 24 and Aug. 1, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.

The CDC called on high-risk groups to be inoculated. In July, the country expanded its immunization drive against Mpox to include those who have had multiple sexual partners in the past year (including sex workers), who have caught STDs, and whose sexual partners belong to the two groups.

Visit the CDC website to learn about Taiwan’s Mpox vaccination resources, available at 125 medical institutions nationwide. Two shots are advised for better protection and must be administered at an interval of at least 28 days.

As of Monday (Aug. 7), 25,803 individuals received two doses, and 19,510 had been given one shot. An anonymous survey suggests over 70% of those who got vaccinated did not show any side effects.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in May declared Mpox was no longer a public health emergency of international concern. Countries were told to implement long-term control and surveillance of the zoonosis.

Taiwan listed Mpox as a second-class communicable disease in June, 2022.