There's a bit of good news about monkeypox. Is it because of the vaccine?

A man holds a sign urging increased access to the monkeypox vaccine during a protest in San Francisco, July 18, 2022. U.S. health officials on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, authorized a new monkeypox vaccination strategy designed to stretch limited supplies by allowing health professionals to vaccinate up to five people — instead of one — with each vial. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)

Finally, we have a glimmer of good news about monkeypox: The outbreaks in some countries, including the U.K., Germany and parts of Canada, are starting to slow down.

On top of that, the outbreak in New York City may also be peaking and on the decline, according to new data from the city’s health department.

All these outbreaks are “far from extinguished,” says infectious disease specialist Dr. Donald Vinh at McGill University in Montreal. But there are signs that, in some places, “they’re a bit more under control than they had been.”