Monkeypox cases are slowing, but Georgia still ranks third in per capita cases nationwide with most of those happening in Atlanta.

Early fears of an escalating outbreak have not come to pass. Scientists are finding that the virus needs a very particular set of circumstances to spread effectively.

Dr. Cherie Drenzek, an epidemiologist with the state health department, said Georgia children have also contracted monkeypox.

"We have had a few cases that have occurred among children," she said. "These children actually were close household contacts of known monkeypox cases, but we've only seen less than a handful of these pediatric cases."

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis is steering the U.S. monkeypox response. A month into the job, he sees signs of success, but there's still more to be done.

It's basically the same vaccine used against smallpox. Here's how it works — and whether researchers think it's playing a role in the fact that the current outbreak is starting to slow down.