With nearly 2 dozen Monkeypox cases in Maryland, officials dole out limited vaccines
BALTIMORE -- The CDC is tracking more than a thousand cases of monkeypox nationwide, with about two dozen here in Maryland. The agency reports 23 confirmed cases in the state.
The virus symptoms are similar to smallpox but milder, and rarely fatal. Still, it can be spread from person to person, and health officials are challenged with monitoring close contacts.
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa said Baltimore has five confirmed monkeypox cases as of Thursday morning.
"What we've done to date, is focus on close contacts of those positive cases, making sure those individuals get what we call 'vaccination as a form of post-exposure prophylaxis,'" Dzirasa said.
The state health department distributed 200 doses of the monkeypox vaccine to what are considered the highest-risk jurisdictions - Baltimore City, Prince George's and Montgomery counties.
"As we identify cases, we'll focus on those close contacts because vaccinations right now for monkeypox are still a limited resource," Dzirasa said.
The city is working with the state to try to get more doses, and the state says more vaccines should be available soon.
"The focus is very much on those who have had known contact with a positive case," Dzirasa said.