While federal health officials declared the monkeypox virus a public health emergency in the United States on Thursday, here’s where Michigan’s cases and vaccines stand.
Michigan has recorded 66 cases of monkeypox across 11 counties, according to data released Wednesday on the state’s health department website. As of Friday, the state had 37 cases.
The state said Wednesday it had recorded 17 cases in the city of Detroit; 12 cases in Oakland County; nine in Wayne County outside the city of Detroit; 8 in Macomb County; seven in Kent County; four in Ingham County; three in Washtenaw County; two in Ottawa County and one case each in Ionia, St. Clair, Livingston and Montcalm counties.
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The country recorded more than 6,600 cases on Wednesday, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This week, President Joe Biden announced the new White House National Coordinator and Deputy Monkeypox Response Coordinator.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a Thursday briefing with federal health officials that they expect cases to continue to rise as people have more access to testing. Cases may increase now due to more widely available testing in addition to the potential for more infections.
Globally, more than 26,000 cases have been reported in 87 counties, 80 of which have never reported monkeypox. The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency on July 23.
Michigan Vaccine Availability
Michigan will receive about 14,500 doses of the Jynneos vaccine, said Chelsea Wuth, a spokeswoman for the state health department.
The Jynneos vaccine is a licensed two-dose regimen for smallpox and monkeypox that can prevent infection in people who have been exposed and limit the severity of symptoms.
Symptoms can include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, sore throat, and a rash that may look like pimples or blisters, the CDC said.
He recommends giving the vaccine within four days of the date of exposure to have the best chance of preventing the onset of the disease. If the vaccine is given between four and 14 days after exposure, it can reduce symptoms of the disease, but it cannot prevent the disease, the agency said.
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Wuth said Michigan recently received about 10,460 doses of vaccine from the CDC with 4,180 doses available in the first wave and another 3,138 doses available in the second wave starting Aug. 15. The remaining 3,138 doses will be in the third wave, with the timing to be determined, she said.
Wuth said Michigan received just over 7,600 doses on Thursday.
State health officials previously said doses of the Jynneos vaccine had been distributed to centers in Detroit as well as Oakland, Washtenaw, Kent, Kalamazoo, Ingham, Genesee and Grand Traverse counties. These vaccines can be redistributed as needed throughout the state.
Wuth said 416 people received the Jynneos vaccine on Tuesday morning.
She said the state health department does not have a county-by-county breakdown of vaccines administered at this time.
“It is important to note that we do not have real-time data on vaccines administered and there is a slight lag in reporting administration data” to the state health department, a she declared.
Where to get vaccinated in Detroit
Detroit offers vaccines to residents of the city who have been exposed to the monkeypox virus or those who suspect they have been exposed.
The city’s health department said last week it was offering the Jynneos vaccine at the Wayne HIV/STI Clinic, 50 East Canfield, from 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month and at the Health Department office, 100 Mack Ave., 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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The vaccines will be used as the first doses during initial allocations from the state health department.
They will be distributed to prevent the development of the virus in people who have been exposed to monkeypox and people with risky behaviors in geographic areas, settings, events or places where monkeypox virus transmission is known during of the previous 14 days, according to a statement.
Writer Kristen Jordan Shamus contributed to this report.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.
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