With new cases of monkeypox being detected in multiple countries in recent weeks, concerns are rising over this zoonotic virus, i.e. which was transmitted from animals to humans, just like Covid-19. The monkeypox virus belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, which was successfully eradicated in India and all over the world by 1980 through immunisation, says infectious diseases expert Ishwar Gilada. India should restart production of smallpox vaccines, which can be used not only for immunisation against monkeypox but also to treat the disease, Gilada told us in an interview.