Philadelphia to receive 1,000 additional doses of monkeypox vaccine
Philly's health department is currently making the vaccine available by appointment only since it remains in limited supply.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is set to receive 1,020 additional doses of the monkeypox vaccine as the virus continues to spread around the world.
The health department received a shipment of 1,605 doses last week and is currently making it available by appointment only since the vaccine remains in limited supply around the world.
World Health Organization officials declared a global emergency over the weekend because of the spread around the world, in part to help draw more resources and bring attention to the outbreak as it spreads.
The Biden administration is now considering whether to declare a public health emergency in the United States to help increase the country's response to the outbreak.
Monkeypox is rarely fatal, and officials said a person can usually recover without treatment.
The virus is typically a mild illness that can cause fever, headache, fatigue and painful rashes, medical experts said.
Symptoms could take about a week or even two to show up after infection.
Health officials said the current outbreak is primarily seen in men who identify as gay or bisexual, but officials stressed that anyone is at risk of exposure through close, physical contact.
Right now, there are more than 2,800 cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.
New York has the most with 900 reported cases. The CDC is also reporting 55 cases in Pennsylvania, 41 in New Jersey, and 3 in Delaware.
Philadelphia has been allotted 2,625 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine as thousands of additional shots are distributed throughout the tri-state region.
Local officials said the priority is to get the shot to high-risk individuals who may have been exposed.
The JYNNEOS vaccine is administered in two doses, but Philadelphia health officials said the focus is to provide as many single doses as possible due to limited supply.
Officials said one dose could still provide protection.
Although monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, it was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.
It was first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958, according to health officials.
In 1970, monkeypox was reported in humans for the first time.
To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
