Earlier this week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to an increasing number of monkeypox cases.
About 800 cases have been reported so far in California; San Francisco, the city with the highest incidence per capita, issued its state of emergency last week. On Tuesday, Los Angeles County issued an emergency proclamation and revealed that a youngster in Long Beach had been infected with monkeypox, which has claimed more than half of California’s monkeypox cases.
As my colleague Knvul Sheikh writes, monkeypox is unlikely to become the next Covid-19, and it’s crucial to understand that. Even though monkeypox can be lethal, it is not as contagious as Covid and has been the subject of numerous tests and vaccinations for many years.
There is a limited quantity of vaccines, and they aren’t generally available to the general population. People who have been exposed to the virus are the most likely to receive the vaccine, as it can help prevent infection even after exposure.
According to Newsom’s office, California has received 61,000 vaccination doses from the federal government and delivered 25,000. It’s not clear how many additional dosages the state needs.
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky received a letter from California’s health officials last month stating that a conservative estimate would cover men who engage in sex with men, as well as those who engage in other behaviors that put them at high risk of catching the virus.
According to Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services Agency secretary, “We must work together and across government—federal, state, and local—to mitigate the spread, and protect those who are disproportionally impacted by the virus.” Dr. Tomás Aragón, the state public health officer. We have a licensed vaccination for monkeypox compared to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic when we didn’t have one.
According to Newsom’s office, the monkeypox response would be streamlined and coordinated following his declaration on Monday. It also permits the administration of monkeypox vaccines by members of emergency medical services.
Securing more vaccines, raising awareness about minimizing risk, and supporting the LGBTQ community in their fight against stigmatization would be Newsom’s top priorities, he said in a statement.
Your doctor or local health agency should be contacted if you suspect that you’ve been exposed to monkeypox. The best chance of avoiding monkeypox is to get vaccinated within four days after exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To avoid contracting the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests following a few simple guidelines: Wash your hands frequently and stay away from people who have monkeypox or a rash that resembles monkeypox.
Read More:
