New York health officials discuss COVID, monkeypox response ahead of back-to-school
NEW YORK -- Ahead of back-to-school this fall, COVID and monkeypox are top of mind for parents.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is juggling multiple public health crises, as the state prepares to enter the new school year.
The New York State Department of Health confirmed its first monkeypox case in a child this past week. The health commissioner says the state accounts for the majority of cases across the country, and it's now adopting a new way to inject and use the limited vaccine supply.
"The strategy allows us to just use one fifth of the dose that we used previously. The reason we can use a smaller dose is because the intradermal administration goes into the skin," Dr. Mary Bassett explained Monday. "There are more cells that are active in the immune response."
Watch: Pediatrician's back-to-school health and safety advice
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk to children and adolescents remains low, but anyone can catch the virus through close skin-to-skin contact.
Hochul says she intends to work with high schools to get information out to vulnerable populations.
"Young people have sex, as well, and there are situations where there could be exposure from their own activities," she said.
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Meanwhile, when it comes to COVID, after two years of pandemic restrictions, many rules are finally lifted.
Starting in September, random testing will no longer be required.
Students who test positive will have to isolate for five days before returning to school. But those who are exposed to the virus and are asymptomatic no longer have to quarantine.
"No more quarantining, no more test-to-stay, and the days of sending an entire classroom home because one person is symptomatic or tests positive -- those days are over," said Hochul.
The governor says schools will still receive COVID test kits to distribute among students.