WILTON MANORS, FLA. (WSVN) - The White House has been working to expand efforts to stop the spread of the monkeypox virus, as cases continue to climb. In South Florida there have been 92 confirmed cases in Miami-Dade, 166 cases in Broward, 16 cases in Palm Beach, and Monroe County has nine confirmed cases.
Robert Padgett got one of two vaccines for monkeypox, Thursday, in Wilton Manors. He said his age is one of the main reasons why he received the vaccine.
“I don’t get concerned about, I just know be smart and make smart choices,” said Padgett.
All the appointments at the Richardson House were taken, as a steady stream of people had walked in to receive their vaccinations.
“One of my friends are getting it here,” said Padgett.
“I just wanna be safe and protected, you know, vaccines are important, public’s health is important,” said Charlie.
Within the state of Florida, Broward County has the most confirmed cases at 166.
Miami-Dade County is trailing behind with 92 confirmed cases of monkeypox.
“The majority of the patients are males, but we have seen females too,” said Dr. Paula Eckardt, Chief of Infectious Diseases of Memorial Healthcare.
The Biden administration is expected to soon declare monkeypox a health emergency.
The Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra spoke to 7News on the phone and said, “Monkeypox is not COVID, but it is contagious. It is painful and can be dangerous. At the Department of Health and Human Services our goal is pretty straight forward: get ahead of the virus and end this outbreak.”
Pregnant women can pass monkeypox to their babies.
Monkeypox is spread by:
- Contact with body fluids or sex.
- Respiratory droplets, such as face to face contact, kissing or cuddling.
- Skin to Skin contact
- Touching of infected bedding or clothes.
“It is not only men who have sex with men. We have seen other cases, and it can potentially happen to anybody that is in very close contact with the lesions,” said Eckardt, “or somebody who has monkeypox in a close proximity for a prolonged period of time.”
Symptoms of monkey pox include rash, fever or weakness, and the incubation period could be as little as three days to three weeks.
Officials said there is no need to panic and to just take precautions.
“It’s not like COVID,” said Robert Boo, CEO of Pride Center at Equality Park. “It is very uncomfortable, and it’s preventable, but it’s not a death sentence, nor is it a LGBTQ, men who have sex with men disease, and anyone can get it.”
The World Health Organization are advising those who are sexually active to limit their partners, especially as confirmed cases of monkeypox continue to rise.
If possible, try to get vaccinated, you do not need to go to a hospital if you suspect you may have symptoms. You are able to go to you general practitioner, and they will advise you where to get tested.
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