The number of mpox cases in Korea increased by six from last Tuesday to Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 81.

Except for five cases,  the 76 cases have been confirmed since April 4, with Korea confirming 34 cases in May alone.

Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for mpox on May 11 after 10 months, Korean quarantine authorities are keeping the mpox alert level at caution due to the continuous domestic outbreak.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has also been conducting pre-exposure vaccinations at 33 medical centers and public health centers nationwide since May 8 for people at high risk of mpox.

Health authorities explained that they are managing the mpox high-risk population based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria.

The U.S. CDC recommends vaccination to people who have been exposed to a person with mpox and are at direct risk of infection, including those whose sexual partner has been diagnosed with mpox within the past two weeks, men who have sex with men, people who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease within the past six months, and LGBT people, including transgender and nonbinary people, who have had more than one sexual partner.

The criteria also include people who have engaged in prostitution in a mpox transmission area within the past six months, people who have sexual partners who are at risk for mpox infection, and people with immunosuppressive conditions, such as HIV, who are at risk for future exposure to mpox.