Comment A person who works at an Illinois day care has tested positive for smallpox and potentially exposed children are at higher risk for serious outcomes from the virus, state officials announced Friday. Officials are testing children and other potentially exposed people for symptoms, and the Food and Drug Administration is allowing children to take the The Jynneos vaccine, which is only approved for adults. The vaccine can prevent infection or reduce the severity of symptoms after exposure. What you need to know about monkeypox symptoms, treatments and protection Authorities said no one else tested positive and he did not say how many people were exposed to the virus, which is spread through close contact with an infected person and is not airborne. State officials said the day care worker also works in a home health care setting and was in contact with the affected client. “All available state, local and federal resources are being deployed to help families,” Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said at a news conference. He praised federal regulators for allowing exposed children to be quickly vaccinated with their parents’ approval and “without jumping through the normal hoops in that process.” Federal officials have confirmed more than 7,500 cases of monkeypox across the United States, the vast majority among gay and bisexual men. At least five children have confirmed cases of monkeypox believed to be the result of household transmission, according to federal officials. The case of the day care worker in Illinois has risen Concerns among public health officials worry that the outbreak will spread more widely and affect populations most vulnerable to severe outcomes — including children — if not contained, particularly as students return to schools and campuses this fall. Monkeypox diseases usually subside after a few weeks, and there are no known casualties in the United States. But for children and people with weak immune systems, the disease can lead to serious medical complications and has had a higher fatality rate in young children in previous outbreaks, according to the World Health Organization. Ask the post: What are your questions about monkeypox? Public health officials are trying to convey a subtle message that sexually active gay men face the highest risk of contracting monkeypox because it is currently spread through close, often skin-to-skin contact, mostly between men who have sex with men. But, officials warn, viruses don’t always stick to one demographic and can infect anyone. “An infection anywhere is potentially an infection everywhere,” said Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at UCLA who studied the monkeypox outbreak, and praised the effort by officials to quickly make vaccines available to people exposed in Illinois. “The more cases we see, the more opportunities for spread we see — and the more likely these scenarios are.” While monkeypox infections can incubate for weeks, Rimoin also stressed that people exposed to the day nurse in Illinois would not necessarily test positive. “Household contacts don’t always get smallpox – it’s not as contagious as the coronavirus,” he said. The CDC recommends fewer sexual partners to reduce exposure to monkeypox Although monkeypox, in the current outbreak, is mainly transmitted through intimate contact during sex between gay and bisexual men, global health authorities warn that it can spread in other ways that usually involve prolonged contact, such as hugging, kissing and dance without clothes. Possible sources of spread to children include prolonged holding, cuddling and feeding, as well as through shared objects such as towels, bedding, cups and utensils. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent a health advisory to clinicians warning them to be on the lookout for symptoms of the virus among other vulnerable populations, including children and teenagers. To prevent the virus from spreading between children and caregivers or household members, officials recommend avoiding contact with infected people and their clothing, towels and bedding. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) declared Monday that monkeypox is a public health emergency, saying the move will improve coordination among state agencies and expedite Illinois’ response to the virus. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday declared a public health emergency over monkeypox, with Biden administration officials saying the move would unlock new funding and authority that could help contain it. virus and end the epidemic in the US. In the Illinois case, the daycare worker with monkeypox is in isolation and in good condition, officials said. Families of potentially exposed children were offered mobile testing and financial assistance to isolate themselves if needed, authorities said. “Anyone who has even a slight suspicion, we will put them in isolation pending any kind of results,” said Julie Pride, administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.
