A treatment for monkeypox that can cover just over 500 people will arrive in South Korea on Saturday.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters said on Tuesday that it is pushing to introduce treatments and vaccines for monkeypox.

Enough doses of the antiviral drug Tecovirimat for 504 patients will be distributed to designated hospitals in 17 cities and provinces nationwide.

Im Suk-yeong, a senior official from the headquarters, said the initial batch is sufficient for an early-stage response and more will be secured depending on the situation.

She said monkeypox symptoms are often very mild and, in many cases, patients get better without medication.

The government is also in the process of signing a contract to bring in ten-thousand doses of a vaccine called Jynneos, which is believed to be effective in preventing monkeypox. One person gets two doses at a four-week interval.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency earlier requested its emergency introduction, which the drug safety ministry approved.

As of Monday, over six-thousand monkeypox cases were reported in 59 countries. South Korea has confirmed just one case so far.