More Monkeypox Vaccines To Be Sent To Us Soon Health Officials Say National

They also acknowledged that vaccine supply has not kept up with the demand seen in New York, California and other places.

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Officials predicted cases would continue to rise for at least a few more weeks as the government tries to keep up with a staggering international outbreak that accounts for hundreds of new cases each day. Some public health experts have begun to question whether the outbreak is becoming widespread enough for monkeypox to become an established sexually transmitted disease. Story continues below ad “Our whole job right now is to prevent that from happening,” said Dr. Rochelle Valensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monkey pox is endemic in areas of Africa where humans are infected by bites from rodents or small animals. It usually does not spread easily between people. However, more than 12,000 cases have been reported this year in countries that historically do not have the disease. The infections appeared in men who had sex with men at gatherings in Europe, although health officials have stressed that anyone can catch the virus. 1:36Monkeypox: ‘You need to know’ how it’s spread as cases rise in Canada, Njoo says Monkeypox: ‘You need to know’ how it’s spread as cases rise in Canada, Njoo says As of Friday, more than 1,800 cases in the US had been reported, with hundreds of cases being added to the tally each day. Almost all are men, and the vast majority have had same-sex encounters, according to the CDC. Trending Stories

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Story continues below ad Experts believe that the number of cases is undercounted. Walensky said she expected cases to increase through at least August, in part because it can take three weeks from the time someone is infected to develop symptoms and be diagnosed. The virus is mainly spread through skin-to-skin contact, but it can also be spread through contact with linens used by someone with monkeypox. People with monkeypox may experience fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue. Many in the outbreak have developed lumps on many parts of the body. No one has died and the disease has been relatively mild in many men. But for some, the lesions can be “extremely painful” and there is a risk of scarring, said Dr. Mary Foote, medical director of the New York City health department’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

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When the outbreak was first identified in May, US officials had only about 2,000 doses of a new two-dose monkeypox vaccine available. Officials have recommended giving the shots to people they know or suspect have been exposed to monkeypox in the previous two weeks, and vaccination clinics in some cities have been overwhelmed by demand. The government distributed 156,000 doses nationwide as of Thursday, including 100,000 this week. And it expects to begin providing 131,000 more doses by Monday, said Dawn O’Connell of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Story continues below ad 5:05 Health issues: Monkeypox cases on the rise in B.C. and why is Health Canada recalling hand sanitizers? Health Issues: Monkey pox cases on the rise in B.C. and why is Health Canada recalling hand sanitizers? There are also about 800,000 doses in Denmark that will soon be coming to the US. And the government this month announced orders for 5 million extra doses, although most of them are not expected to arrive until next year. The vaccine, Jynneos, has never been widely used in response to an outbreak like this one, and the government will monitor how well it works, Walensky said.