Health experts concerned it may be too late to get ahead of monkeypox outbreak
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Monkeypox is spreading, and the rate is accelerating.
The United States now has 13,517 confirmed cases of monkeypox. Indiana has 101, becoming the 21st on Wednesday with more than 100 cases among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Given these numbers and the rapid spread, some health health authorities are concerned if the country can keep pace with the virus or if the outbreak will turn into a pandemic.
“In my career, I’ve seen at least three global pandemics, and we just don’t learn from each one,” Dr. David Lo, immunologist at UC Riverside School of Medicine, told News 8. “So, the medical scientists may say we knew this was coming, but we just didn’t know which one it was going to be. It’s really the population. Are they learning this is still a risk, this is still a threat and it’s going to be that next disease that comes along?”
The good thing about our country, Lo says, is we have a monitoring system that tells public health officials who is getting the virus, how and where it’s spreading and if the vaccine is effective.
Lo goes on to say that, to stay on top of the monkeypox outbreak, the federal government must continue to invest money in its monitoring system.
Indiana Department of Health is distributing vaccinations through a web survey page.
More information regarding monkeypox can be found on the CDC’s website.