LOS ANGELES, Jul 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The U.S. confirmed nearly 5,000 monkeypox cases, as San Francisco and New York state, began taking steps to address the outbreak.
A total of 4,907 monkeypox cases had been reported across the country as of Thursday, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
New York had the most cases, with 1,247, followed by California with 799, and Illinois with 396. So far the U.S. has the world’s highest tally of monkeypox cases, health experts said.
While U.S. federal officials weigh a nationwide public health emergency declaration around the monkeypox outbreak, San Francisco and New York state had begun sounding the alarm.
San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to declare a local health emergency on monkeypox, in an effort to strengthen the city’s preparedness and response, amid high demand for vaccine.
The declaration, which will go into effect tomorrow, allows city departments to mobilise and coordinate more effectively, Mayor London Breed’s office said in a statement.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health confirmed 281 cases of monkeypox as of Friday, after reporting its first case in early Jun.
In New York, state Health Commissioner, Mary T. Bassett, declared monkeypox an “imminent threat” to public health, as the number of cases continues to increase.
“This declaration means that, local health departments engaged in response and prevention activities will be able to access additional state reimbursement, after other federal and state funding sources are maximised, to protect all New Yorkers and ultimately limit the spread of monkeypox in our communities,” Bassett said in a statement.
New York State has secured more than 60,000 Jynneos monkeypox vaccine doses to date, according to the state health department.
So far, 338,000 vaccine doses have been delivered across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorised 786,000 additional doses of the Jynneos vaccine, and jurisdictions can place orders now.
The federal government is continuing to monitor the response to monkeypox and will use that to consider whether to declare the outbreak a public health emergency, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said.
Since the U.S. reported the first monkeypox case on May 17, cases have kept going up, with the highest daily case count jumping to 439 on Jul 15, according to the CDC.
The CDC has recently confirmed two cases of monkeypox in children. One case is a toddler who is a resident of California. The other is an infant who is not a U.S. resident.
The country has also spotted its first case of monkeypox this year in a pregnant woman.
Top U.S. infectious diseases official, Anthony Fauci said, monkeypox poses “a profound risk” to groups, including pregnant women and children.– NNN-AGENCIES
