Monkeypox cases continue to grow in San Diego County. In the most recent report, there was a record of 98, which represents almost double the previous week, according to data from health authorities.
Of the almost 100 cases registered so far, two of them have required hospitalization and no deaths have been reported as a result of the disease, public health official Wilma Wooten explained.
This Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors unanimously ratified that a local state of emergency be declared for this disease, as health authorities announced last week.
At the federal level, it is estimated that between 1.6 million and 1.7 million Americans face the highest risk of the disease, mainly men with HIV or men who have a higher risk of contracting it, in accordance with the AP agency.
In San Diego authorities informed the community through your portal about the vaccine. Although it is available to those who require it, the demand is greater than the supply, authorities said.
Given this situation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the vaccine for those who are most at risk. That is, people who have been exposed to others who have already contracted or are suspected of having the disease, or people with an immunocompromised condition.
This week the county received just over 1,500 vaccines, which are only available to eligible individuals who have been referred by a health care provider. Advance appointment is required.
So far, the sites that have limited doses are: UC San Diego Owen Clinic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation Healthcare Center San Diego, Vista Community Clinic, San Ysidro Health Center and the Family Health Centers of San Diego. Other additional doses are available in the public health centers County.
The monkeypox vaccine consists of two doses given 28 days apart. A single dose of the vaccine is 80 percent effective, and second doses will be given as more vaccine is available, authorities said.
“Our goal is to give as many eligible people as possible a dose,” said Wilma Wooten, in an article published on the county website. “When we have more vaccines, we can start giving them a second dose to be more effective.”
Health providers offer tests to detect the disease. Those who do not have a health provider can call line 2-11.
The county will hold a virtual meeting this Thursday at 6 p.m. to answer questions the community may have. Questions can be asked in advance and anonymously through the portal sandiegocounty.com/monkeypoxsd or at the time of the talk.
The meeting will be held at this link: tinyurl.com/MonkeypoxTownhall
With information from Paul Sisson and the AP agency
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