A smallpox vaccine has been approved, on Monday, by European Commission for use against monkeypox after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced monkeypox as a global health emergency, according to the Danish drugmaker, Bavarian Nordic that developed the jab.

According to a suggestion made by the EU's medicines authority, the statement from Bavarian Nordic read, "The European Commission has extended the marketing authorization for the company's smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, to include protection from monkeypox," adding that "The approval is valid in all European Union Member States as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway."

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared on Saturday the monkeypox outbreak to be a global health emergency - the highest alarm it can sound.

"I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern," Tedros announced.

Monkeypox has affected over 15,800 people in 72 countries, according to a tally by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published on July 20.

Since early May, there has been an increase in monkeypox cases outside of the West and Central African nations where the illness has long been prevalent.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) evaluates medications scientifically and makes recommendations regarding whether or not they should be commercialized.

However, the EMA lacks the power required by EU legislation to approve marketing in the various EU nations. The authorizing authority, the European Commission, bases its legally obligatory decision on the EMA's recommendation.

Read more: Monkeypox 'can be contained' in US: White House