The movescame as authorities investigated 237 suspected and confirmed cases of the virusin 19 countries since early May.
That numberis expected to increase, WHO officials have said, but most of the infections sofar have not been severe.
Scientistsdo not expect the outbreak to evolve into a pandemic like COVID-19, given thevirus does not spread as easily as SARS-COV-2.
Monkeypox isa usually mild viral infection that is endemic in parts of west and centralAfrica.
It spreadschiefly through close contact and until the recent outbreak, was rarely seen inother parts of the world, which is why the recent emergence of cases has raisedalarms. The majority have been reported in Europe.
On Tuesday,England reported 14 new cases, taking its total to 70 since May 7 and theUnited Arab Emirates and the Czech Republic registered their first infections.
"Weencourage you all to increase the surveillance of monkeypox to see wheretransmission levels are and understand where it is going," said SylvieBriand, WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness.
While shesaid the outbreak was "not normal", she stressed that it was"containable".
There arealso vaccines and treatments available for monkeypox, she added, calling forappropriate containment measures, more research, and global collaboration.
"Let"snot make a mountain out of a molehill," she said speaking at the WorldHealth Assembly in Geneva.
The WHO isworking on new guidance for countries on vaccination strategies and isconvening further meetings to support member states with more advice on how totackle the situation.
TARGETEDVACCINATIONS
Somecountries are already taking precautionary measures to provide protection forpeople who might have been exposed to the virus.
On Tuesday,France"s health authority recommended that at-risk adults who have been incontact with a person with confirmed monkeypox and health staff exposed to aninfected patient should be vaccinated.
Denmark didsimilar, providing vaccines to close contacts of those infected with the virus,the Danish Health Authority told public broadcaster DR. The country hasregistered two cases.
The vaccinebeing deployed is produced by Bavarian Nordic BAVA.CO. It is branded Jynneos inthe United States where it is approved for use against smallpox and monkeypox.It is also approved for smallpox in Europe, where it is called Imvanex, but hasbeen provided for off-label use in response to monkeypox cases.
Germany hasordered 40,000 doses to be ready to deploy on contacts of those infected if anoutbreak in the country becomes more severe.
But for now,officials said they were banking on other precautionary measures.
HealthMinister Karl Lauterbach said the outbreak could be contained with earlyintervention and did not signal the start of a new pandemic, and a senior WHOofficial gave similar guidance on Monday.
US healthofficials were on Monday preparing to releasing some Jynneos doses. Read fullstory British authorities were the first to take such action, offering vaccinesto some healthcare workers and others who may have been exposed to monkeypoxlast week.
NO MUTATION
The movescome as scientists seek to understand more about the means of transmission andwho might be most at risk.
Briandreiterated WHO"s view that it was unlikely that the virus has mutated but saidtransmission might be being driven by a change in human behaviour, particularlyas people return to socialising as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted worldwide.
Healthexperts watch for concerning mutations that could make a virus more easilytransmissible or severe.
Many, butnot all, of the cases have been reported in men who have sex with men, andBriand said it was particularly important to try to prevent sexualtransmission.
Symptomsinclude a fever and a distinctive bumpy rash. The West African strain ofmonkeypox, which is the one identified in the current outbreak, has a mortalityrate of around 1 percent.
