California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) talks to reporters after a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at the U.S. Capitol, Friday, July 15, 2022.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Monday over the rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak, the third US state to do so in a matter of days.
Newsom said the emergency declaration would help support the state’s vaccination efforts. Demand for vaccines has outstripped supply as infections rise. Staff at sexual health clinics and elsewhere have struggled to keep up with the influx of people seeking vaccinations.
California is mobilizing its emergency medical services personnel to help administer the vaccines. Newsom said the state is working at all levels of government to slow the spread through testing, contract monitoring and community outreach.
California’s declaration comes after Illinois declared a public health emergency early Monday. New York declared a state disaster emergency in response to the outbreak Friday afternoon.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States has reported nearly 6,000 cases of smallpox in 48 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico. The outbreak has spread rapidly since Boston health authorities confirmed the first American case in May.
California, Illinois and New York, home to the nation’s three largest cities, have reported 47% of all confirmed smallpox infections in the US. New York is the epicenter of the US outbreak, with nearly 1,400 confirmed cases as of Monday.
The Biden administration is weighing whether to declare a public health emergency in the US, according to senior federal health officials. That would help mobilize resources for state health officials who are fighting the outbreak. The last time the United States declared a public health emergency was in response to Covid-19 in January 2020.
Monkey pox is rarely fatal and so far no deaths have been reported in the US. But some patients suffer excruciating pain from the rash caused by the virus.
Monkey pox is primarily transmitted through skin-to-skin contact during sex. Gay and bisexual men are at greatest risk of infection right now, public health officials say. About 98 percent of patients who provided demographic information to the clinics identified as men who have sex with men, according to the CDC.
Although men who have sex with men are at the highest risk right now, health officials have stressed that anyone can get monkeypox through physical contact with someone who has the rash that characterizes the virus or contaminated materials such as towels and sheets.
Monkey pox can also be spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person has mouth sores, but that requires prolonged face-to-face interaction, according to the CDC. Physical contact is the main route of transmission, health officials say.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.