Texas: Toddler in Harris County Believed to Be the First Pediatric Case of Monkeypox in Lone Star State
Texas is keeping a wary eye on the potential spread of the monkeypox virus, as a toddler from Harris County was believed to have contracted the disease. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

It looks like California is gearing towards declaring a state of emergency amid the rising cases of monkeypox virus in the area.

The news came days after San Francisco, the epicenter of the virus, declared that they are in a State of Public Health Emergency.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency - ramping up various states and cities in the United States on vaccine rollout and preventive measures.

California State of Emergency for Monkeypox Virus

CBS Bay Area reported that California is "looking carefully" at declaring a State of Public Health Emergency after San Francisco City did so earlier this week.

California Public Health Department Director Dr. Tomas Aragon is confident that the state is far more equipped to deal with the monkeypox outbreak than the COVID-19 virus.

That is because California has used the past two years to ramp up its surveillance and investigation plans to combat viruses and outbreaks like monkeypox.

"The most important thing that we're doing is trying to get as accurate information as possible to the communities that are concerned and the communities that are affected," the health department director said

State Senator Scott Wiener has urged California to declare a State of Emergency because of the White House's slow response to the outbreak, particularly in securing vaccines.

Aragon echoed Weiner's statements but noted that the state is currently gathering accurate information from affected communities first before making a huge decision. He also pointed out that there is an ongoing internal state review of the declaration.

San Francisco City Declares Monkeypox Public Health State of Emergency

Earlier this week, San Francisco independently declared a public health state of emergency after recording high cases of the monkeypox virus in the city.

As of July 28, San Francisco recorded 257 (32.7%) cases among the state's 786 monkeypox cases. Los Angeles takes the lead with four more cases at 261 but has yet to declare its own State of Emergency.

CDC records showed that California is the second state with the highest number of cases, next to New York with more than 1,300.

According to San Francisco Mayor London Breed, the state declaration enables them to prepare, mobilize, and allocate resources to curb the spread of the monkeypox virus in the area.

Among their concerns is the heavy impact of the virus on the LGBTQ+ community. A recent medical journal revealed that sexually active gay and bisexual men were more susceptible to the virus because the mode of transmission is through intimate and physical contact.

National Monkeypox Vaccination Rollout in the United States

President Joe Biden's slow response to the monkeypox outbreak has received backlash among his critics and the LGBTQ+ sector.

It was mainly because of his poor vaccination program rollout that has put more danger on the community and others. Earlier this week, San Francisco City closed its major monkeypox vaccination clinics after its stock depleted.

Like New York and the United Kingdom, San Francisco City has also resorted to giving single doses to many and delaying the second shots until more vaccines become available.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ivan Korrs

WATCH: California Health Official Says Monkeypox State of Emergency Is Still Being Considered - From KCRA News