Monkeypox has been a growing concern in the United States recently, although not as severe as the coronavirus. Fortunately, since monkeypox is similar to smallpox, it has been determined that smallpox vaccines are effective against it. As a result, the Department of Health and Human Services has been distributing vaccinations to areas at risk of monkeypox outbreaks.
The Health Department recently announced that they will now offer direct monkeypox vaccinations to individuals who suspect they may have been exposed to the virus.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra stated, “Shortly after the initial monkeypox case was confirmed in the US, we swiftly began administering vaccines and treatments to safeguard the public and contain the virus spread.”
“While the risk of monkeypox for most Americans is low, we are making every effort to provide vaccines to those with a high risk of infection. This new approach allows us to optimize the use of existing vaccines and target individuals most susceptible to the current outbreak.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul mentioned that the federal government would soon deliver over 8,000 extra doses of the monkeypox vaccine to New York, which has seen a rise in monkeypox cases, with around 6,000 doses designated for New York City. https://t.co/V25EZ6KII8
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 30, 2022
Approximately 56,000 vaccine doses are being distributed immediately, with an additional 240,000 doses expected in the coming weeks. The department specified that vaccines will be accessible to those who were in close physical contact with a confirmed monkeypox case, individuals whose sexual partner had been diagnosed with monkeypox, and men who have had multiple recent sexual partners in areas where monkeypox is present or spreading.
As of the latest data on Wednesday, there are around 305 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States.
