Marin Co. confirms 2 new monkeypox cases as CDC addresses data, concerns nationally
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Marin County confirmed two new cases of monkeypox Friday morning, adding to the growing caseload in the San Francisco Bay Area.
As the number of infections increases, state and county public health officials across the country are asking for more guidance and vaccines from the federal government.
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Friday morning, the CDC, FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services held a joint event to discuss new data.
According to the CDC, there are now 11,000 cases globally in 65 countries. It has identified 1,470 cases to date in the United States. It says the median age is 36, and those infected ranges from the ages 18 to 76 years old.
Officials who spoke noted that testing capacity in the U.S. has been expanded to now test 70,000 samples per week.
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Testing has also been expanded to groups beyond just gay and bisexual men. However, they say most results are coming back negative, which suggests that right now, monkeypox is mainly impacting men who have sex with men.
Despite gains in increased testing, vaccine availability in the U.S. still remains a problem.
Officials from the HHS say they have purchased 7,000,000 new doses, but admit that most of it won't be available until later this year and into next year.
The CDC expects the number of cases to rise as more people get tested, as exposure grows, and because it is now easier for states to report in real time.
Initially, the CDC recommended one dose of the vaccine due to the shortage. It now says that a single dose doesn't produce the antibodies needed. It advises that individuals get both doses -- administered 28 days apart -- to protect against the virus.
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