Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Geoffrey Leung today has proclaimed a public health emergency due to the growing number of monkeypox cases, a move that health officials say will focus attention on a virus that has spread so quickly. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors has seven days to ratify the action.
Officials hope the proclamation will show the community that Public Health views monkeypox as a threat to all county residents. Leung said the move could help as local officials lobby for additional vaccine, which has been in limited supply.
Both state and federal health officials, as well as a handful of counties and cities in California, have proclaimed monkeypox a public health emergency.
“We have seen the devastating physical effects of monkeypox on those who have been infected, as well as the emotional toll on partners, family and loved ones,” Leung said. “Now is the time for Public Health, our community partners, and local leadership to reinforce our commitment to work together to slow and eventually stop the spread of this virus.”
Public Health officials have reported 59 probable/confirmed monkeypox cases in Riverside County. A handful of patients have been briefly hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported from the virus in Riverside County, officials said.
Monkeypox spreads primarily through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids, including during sex, as well as activities like kissing, hugging, massaging, and cuddling. Monkeypox can spread through touching materials used by a person with monkeypox that haven’t been cleaned, such as clothing and bedding. It can also spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, close, face-to-face contact. Vaccination helps to protect against monkeypox when given before or shortly after an exposure, officials said.
At this time, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has allocated a limited number of JYNNEOS vaccine doses to Riverside County. JYNNEOS is licensed for adults 18 years and over and is administered as a two-dose injection series in the upper arm at least four weeks apart.
To read the proclamation, click here. For more information about monkeypox, click here.
