FL Gets 25,000 Doses Of Monkeypox Vaccine; Pinellas A Top Priority

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Now reporting nine cases of monkeypox, the most of any Tampa Bay county, the Pinellas County Department of Health announced Wednesday afternoon that help is on the way.

The Florida Department of Health said it has received 25,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine, and has ordered additional doses from the national stockpile.

The DOH said the vaccine is being distributed to the counties with the most cases, as well as at-risk communities.

Statewide, 208 cases have been reported, according to DOH data.

The breakdown of counties with the most cases is as follows:

• Broward - 110
• Miami-Dade - 56
• Orange - 10
• Pinellas - 9
• Palm Beach - 7
• Hillsborough - 3
• Monroe - 3
• Polk - 2

All other Florida counties have either no cases or one.

Dr. Ulyee Choe, director of the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, said the current outbreak is mild, and no deaths has been reported in the U.S.

There's now been 1,972 cases reported in the United States. To date, the greatest number of cases (521) have been in New York, followed by California (267 cases), Illinois (200 cases) and Florida (208).

The DOH said monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus that occurs mostly in central and western Africa, but can show up in other parts of the world.

The monkeypox virus can be transmitted from animals to humans, especially African rodents and monkeys.

Once a person becomes infected with the monkeypox virus, he or she can pass it to other people, although it is not considered a very contagious disease and the risk of contracting it is generally low.

Monkeypox typically begins with flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, headache, tiredness, muscle aches) and swelling of the lymph nodes. It progresses to a rash on the face and body. The illness usually lasts two to four weeks.

Human-to-human transmission generally requires prolonged face-to-face contact with someone with an active rash, or indirect contact with contaminated items of someone with a rash, such as clothing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a vaccination for people who have been exposed to monkeypox and people who are at higher risk of being exposed to monkeypox.

See related stories:

• 1st Monkeypox Cases Appear In Hillsborough; Pinellas Now Reporting 9
• 1st Case Of Monkeypox In Tampa Bay Confirmed In Pinellas County
• 2 Probable Monkeypox Cases Reported In Polk County, 1 More In Pinellas
• Monkeypox In U.S.: What Florida Residents Should Know
• Monkeypox Outbreak Expanding In U.S., Including In Florida And Across The Globe
• Feds Expand Monkeypox Vaccine Access: Will Florida Get Doses?