PETALING JAYA: Dengue poses a greater threat than monkeypox which is not yet a concern to the public, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

       Its president Dr Koh Kar Chai said the public should not be alarmed about monkeypox for now despite the disease having been recorded outside of its endemic region in Africa.

       “The public is reminded that we have a greater menace in our midst that is still claiming lives, and that is dengue,” he said.

       On claims that chickenpox vaccine could protect against monkeypox, he said there was no evidence to back up the claims.

       “There has been talk about getting the chickenpox vaccination prior to travelling to avoid catching monkeypox.

       “I am not aware of any evidence that shows that the chickenpox vaccine will confer protection against monkeypox,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       “But there is evidence to show that the smallpox vaccine confers a degree of protection. This vaccine is hard to come by as smallpox has been declared as being eradicated.

       “Those who have been vaccinated against smallpox received it ages ago and it’s likely that the immunity conferred by the vaccine would have waned, though I stand to be corrected,” he added.

       He said although a monkeypox vaccine had been registered, it was still not accessible to the masses.

       Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry on May 17, dengue cases have seen an increase of 51.5% or 1,074 cases in the 19th epidemiological week from May 8 to 14 this year compared to only 709 cases the week before.