They also said they were providing more vaccine against monkeypox, working to extend the trials and taking other measures to try to prevent the epidemic. “We will continue to take aggressive action against this virus,” he said. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Coordinator, who has also played a role in how the government handles monkey pox.
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The administration said it is expanding the pool of people being advised to get vaccinated to include those who may realize on their own that they could have been infected. This includes men who have recently had sex with men at parties or other gatherings in cities where cases of monkey pox have been reported. The story goes on under the ad Most patients with smallpox show only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness can develop a rash and damage to the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. The disease is endemic to parts of Africa where humans have been infected by rodent or small animal bites. It usually does not spread easily between people. Last month, cases began to appear in Europe and the United States. Many — but not all — of those infected with the virus had traveled internationally. Most were men who had sex with men, but health officials stress that anyone can get smallpox. 2:14 More than half Canadians confident about monkey pox response, but 55% worried about spread: poll More than half Canadians are confident about monkey pox response, but 55% worried about spread: poll – 17 June 2022 The number of cases continued to increase. As of Tuesday, the United States had identified 306 cases in 27 states and the District of Columbia. More than 4,700 cases have been found in more than 40 other countries outside of Africa where the virus is endemic. The story goes on under the ad There have been no deaths in the United States, and officials say the risk to the American public is low. However, they are taking steps to reassure people that there are medical measures to address the growing problem. One of the steps was to expand who is recommended to be vaccinated. Vaccines are usually given to build immunity in humans before they become infected. But if given within days or even weeks of the first infection, some vaccines can reduce the severity of the symptoms. Trending Stories
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A two-dose vaccine, Jynneos, has been approved for smallpox in the United States. The government has many more doses than an older smallpox vaccine – ACAM2000 – which they say could also be used, but this vaccine is considered to have a higher risk of side effects and is not recommended for people living with HIV. So it is the Jynneos vaccine that officials are trying to use as the main weapon against the monkey pox epidemic.
Read more: Monkey pox is not yet a global health emergency, says WHO
To date, the government has developed more than 9,000 doses of the vaccine. U.S. officials said Tuesday they are increasing the amount of Jynneos they have, with 56,000 doses available immediately and about 240,000 more in the coming weeks. More than 1 million more were promised in the coming months. The story goes on under the ad Another change: Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised that vaccines are given after exposure to people whom health officials identify as close personal contact cases. But on Tuesday, CDC officials said they were extending the recommendation to people who have never been identified, but may realize on their own that they may be infected. This may include men having sex with men who have recently had multiple sexual partners in an area where monkey pox was known to occur or in an area where monkey pox is prevalent. “It’s almost like expanding the definition of who a contact can be,” said CDC’s Jennifer McQuiston. If people have gone to a party or other place where monkey pox is known to spread, “we recommend coming for a vaccine,” he said. 1:30 Monkeypox virus ‘behaves abnormally’, says WHO as committee assesses risk Monkeypox virus ‘behaves unusually’, says WHO as committee assesses risk – 14 June 2022 The CDC expansion follows similar steps taken in New York and the District of Columbia. The story goes on under the ad The District of Columbia has identified 19 cases, but follow-up investigations have revealed that some of the infected men were in gatherings where they hugged, kissed or in other forms of close contact with strangers, said Anil Mangla. of the DC Health Department. It was clear that “something was missing here” and we had to start offering services to others, said Mangla, an epidemiologist. Last Thursday, the New York Department of Health – equipped with 1,000 doses of Jynneos from the federal government – announced it was opening a temporary clinic to offer the vaccine to all homosexuals, bisexuals and other men who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the past two weeks.
Read more: Mass vaccination campaign against monkey pox required, experts say
But all the appointments filled up quickly that day and the last round of appointments was on Monday. “Until we receive more supply, we can not release additional vaccination appointments,” Patrick Gallague, a spokesman for the city’s health department, said in an email. On Monday, the District of Columbia Department of Health took a similar step. The department began making appointments at 1pm on Monday but had to stop after 20 minutes, Mangla said. The department only had 200 doses of Jynneos and it was clear to the point that the department did not have the vaccine supply or staff to continue enrolling new people, he said. © 2022 The Canadian Press
