Joe Biden Unveils Monkeypox Vaccine Strategy; California State Has Highest Cases of the Disease

President Joe Biden and his administration on Tuesday unveiled a vaccine strategy in response to the emergence of the monkeypox virus in the United States.

The Biden-Harris administration described the vaccine strategy as its "first phase," in their announcement published by the White House, according to New York Post.

The administration went on to say that the plans unveiled on Tuesday are a "critical part" of its monkeypox outbreak response.

"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 announcement read, adding that the plan would distribute two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine and FDA-approved protection against smallpox and monkeypox.

The said remedies are intended for individuals 18 years and older.

Pres. Joe Biden Administration Monkeypox Vaccine Strategy

According to the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. "has effective vaccines and treatments that can be used against monkeypox."

The announcement underscored that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received at least 9,000 doses of vaccines and 300 courses of antiviral smallpox treatments.

The vaccine strategy unveiled by President Joe Biden, and his administration, will also expand the deployment of vaccines across the U.S. The administration would allocate 296,000 doses over the coming weeks.

At least 56,000 of that number will be allocated immediately. At least 16 million additional doses will be available over the coming months.

Meanwhile, a White House official confirmed to the Post, through a phone call, that at least 800,000 doses will be imported in July and early August, with an additional 500,000 doses which were recently contracted for.

The monkeypox vaccine strategy would also make testing for the disease more accessible.

"The CDC has since scaled testing capacity to 78 sites in 48 states, primarily at state public health laboratories, with spare capacity to conduct nearly 10,000 tests per week nationwide," the announcement underscored.

Centers for Disease Controls and Preventions (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said that doctors should increase testing for the virus.

"I strongly encourage all healthcare providers to have a high clinical suspicion for monkeypox among their patients," Walensky said, adding that patients with a suspicious rash should be tested for the disease.

Monkeypox is a virus that can spread through close intimate contact. Its known symptoms are rash and fever.

Monkeypox is less transmissible than fast-spreading respiratory diseases. Early cases of monkeypox in the U.S. and Western Europe are linked to sexual contact among gay men who attended large events.

California Has the Highest Case of Monkeypox in the U.S.

On Tuesday, California became the state with the highest case of monkeypox. The Golden State recorded at least 66 monkeypox cases as of Tuesday, according to the data from CDC.

New York comes second with 63 cases, and Illinois at third with 45 cases.

All in all, the CDC noted that there are 306 cases of monkeypox/orhthopox virus across the U.S.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

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