SAN FRANCISCO: Governor Gavin Newsom of California on Monday declared a state of emergency owing to the spread of the monkeypox virus, in order to "bolster the state's vaccination efforts".
According to DPA news agency, Newsom said in a statement on Monday, "California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox. We are leveraging our robust testing, contact tracing, and community partnerships strengthened during the pandemic to ensure that those most at risk are our focus for vaccines, treatment, and outreach."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that California now had 827 instances of monkeypox overall, which was the second-highest number after the hardest-hit New York state, which had 1,390 cases.
Men, the bulk of whom identify as LGBTQ, accounted for 98.3% of the positive monkeypox cases in California, according to the state's statistics. The virus is primarily affecting transgender and non-binary individuals as well as guys who have sex with other men.
The state can more easily coordinate its response to the outbreak thanks to Newsom's proclamation, and EMS personnel can now provide immunizations.
Out of the 61,000 doses that have been received so far, the Governor's office reported that California has delivered more than 25,000 doses of the vaccine. Particularly, the Jynneos vaccination is still in poor availability across the country.
The agency reported that more than 30 clinics and physicians provide monkeypox care throughout the state, but that availability to the antiviral prescription medication tecovirimat is similarly constrained.
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