State

IDPH says it will receive about 1,300 monkeypox vaccine doses, with more to come

By Shaw Local News Network
This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Monkeypox, a disease that rarely appears outside Africa, has been identified by European and American health authorities in recent days. (Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP)

This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Monkeypox, a disease that rarely appears outside Africa, has been identified by European and American health authorities in recent days. (Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP) (AP)

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Thursday it would receive 1,291 monkeypox vaccine doses as a part of the federal response to address the ongoing monkeypox virus outbreak.

The state will receive the JYNNEOS vaccine while the Chicago Department of Public Health will be receiving a separate initial allocation of 3,200 doses. Federal authorities said the number of vaccine doses available is expected to increase substantially during the coming months. At the same time, the CDC is taking steps to increase testing capacity.

To date, the CDC is reporting 46 probable monkeypox virus cases in Illinois, with the vast majority in the city of Chicago and the remaining cases in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Lake Counties. Nationally, the CDC is reporting 351 cases in 28 states and the District of Columbia.

Monkeypox virus is a disease that does not spread easily between people without close contact and the threat of monkeypox to the general U.S. population remains low.

The vaccine doses distributed to IDPH will be available in counties that have experienced at least one case of the virus. The vaccine will be designated for individuals at higher risk of exposure, which includes those who have had close physical contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox virus or presumed exposure to the virus. It will also be available for those at occupational risk of exposure, such as lab workers, selected clinicians, and response team members.

The strategy aims to mitigate the spread of the virus in communities where transmission has been the highest and with populations most at risk.

The CDC is tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported since the first case in the U.S. was confirmed on May 18. These cases include individuals who self-identify as men who have sex with men. The CDC is urging healthcare providers in the U.S. to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox.

Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox. Monkeypox virus can also spread between people through respiratory droplets typically in a close setting, such as the same household or a healthcare setting. Common household disinfectants can kill the monkeypox virus.

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Shaw Local News Network

Shaw Local News Network

Shaw Local News Network provides local news throughout northern Illinois