Health officials in Finland say they will primarily offer the monkeypox vaccine to individuals exposed to the virus. Finland has reported 17 cases of the virus so far, according to news agency Reuters.

This week Europe recorded its first monkeypox-related deaths as Spain confirmed fatalities from the disease.

Lasse Lehtonen, the head of diagnostic services at Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), said news of Spain's monkeypox deaths are a reason to consider targeting vaccines for certain segments of the population.

He noted that people with HIV, for example, are susceptible to developing serious complications from the virus.

"Monkeypox can be a serious disease for people with compromised immunity. Generally it's only dangerous for children under the age of eight," he explained.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a public health emergency, prompting many countries to vaccinate their citizens against the virus. Around 1,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in Finland. They will primarily be offered to individuals who have been exposed to the virus.

Monkeypox does not spread easily, according to public health authority THL. Transmission from one person to another requires direct and close contact. This includes contact with infectious sores and prolonged face-to-face contact via respiratory droplets.

The current monkeypox outbreak outside of Africa is associated with intimate contact and is concentrated among men who have sex with men. People with multiple sexual partners have a higher risk of contracting the virus than others, according to the THL.

Monkeypox symptoms, typically lasting 2-4 weeks, include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and hives.