Lea Suzuki / San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Jonathan Parducho, a pharmacist, removes a tray of vials of of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox from a box containing 20 doses, in the vaccine hub at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, July 29, 2022, in San Francisco. The U.S. will declare a public health emergency to bolster the federal response to the outbreak of monkeypox that already has infected more than 6,600 Americans. That’s according to two people familiar with the matter said.
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022 | 4:51 p.m.
The Southern Nevada Health District has received an extra 2,956 doses of the monkeypox from the national supply, officials announced today.
Those eligible to receive the vaccine include: Residents who have had physical contact in the past 14 days with someone who had or is suspected of having monkeypox, including sexual partners; those notified by health officials of having been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox; and gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men.
The vaccine will be given from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the health district’s main office at 280 S. Decatur Blvd. It’s a walk-in clinic, as the online registration portal is down, officials said.
Officials say eligibility for the vaccine will expand as more doses become available.
The monkeypox virus spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing.
The people who have gotten sick so far have been primarily men who have sex with men, but the health officials emphasize that the virus can infect anyone.
With only 24 probable and confirmed cases of monkeypox as of Aug. 3, the Health District said they “do not foresee a need to declare a local emergency,” but are continuing to monitor the growth of the virus in Clark County.
The Biden administration today declared monkeypox as a public health emergency. There have been more than 6,600 probable or confirmed cases detected in the United States, in every state except Wyoming and Montana, according to the Associated Press.
The announcement will free up money and other resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimplelike bumps on many parts of the body.
“We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously,” said Xavier Becerra, head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The declaration by HHS comes as the Biden administration has faced criticism over monkeypox vaccine availability. Clinics in major cities, such as New York and San Francisco, say they haven’t received enough of the two-shot vaccine to meet demand, and some have had to stop offering the second dose to ensure supply of single doses.
The White House said it has made more than 1.1 million doses available and has helped to boost domestic diagnostic capacity to 80,000 tests per week.
No one in the United States has died from the illness. A few deaths have been reported in other countries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.