To help provide accurate information about monkeypox, Healthline spoke with medical experts to debunk 11 troubling myths currently circulating about the virus.
Myth: Monkeypox is a new disease
You may have heard about monkeypox for the first time in May when Britain reported a case in a resident who had recently returned from Lagos, NigeriaTrusted Source. The U.S. reported its first case later that month in a Massachusetts man who had recently traveled to Canada.
But the truth is, we’ve known about monkeypox for more than six decades.
Myth: You can get monkeypox from the COVID-19 vaccine
Dr. Armand Balboni, an infectious disease expert, says it’s not possible to get COVID-19 or any virus from the COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, monkeypox and COVID-19 are unrelated.
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Myth: Only gay and bisexual men can get monkeypox
If Balboni could debunk one myth, it would be this one.
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“The most important thing anyone can know about monkeypox right now is that it can affect anyone, regardless of your sexual orientation or partners,” he says. “Everyone should be aware of the risks and educate themselves on how they can protect themselves against the virus.”
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Myth: The monkeypox vaccine is widely available
Experts say the monkeypox vaccine is not currently widely available because of the short supply.
