Board President Holly Mitchell issued a proclamation late Monday declaring a state of emergency in Los Angeles County, where more than 400 monkeypox cases have been identified so far — nearly double the number a year ago. week. “This proclamation is critical to helping us get ahead of this virus,” Mitchell said in a statement. “Declaring a local emergency allows us to cut red tape to better dedicate resources and educate residents on how to protect themselves and help stop the spread. It will also allow the county to quickly administer vaccines as many are available and to make the necessary efforts to obtain supplies and enhance outreach and awareness.” The Board of Supervisors approved the statement Tuesday in a unanimous vote. As part of the proclamation, the Board of Supervisors will request that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act and that the state expedite access to state and federal funds and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs . The Board of Supervisors will also direct county departments to implement all assessment, assistance and monitoring efforts as appropriate. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for California on Monday in response to an increase in monkeypox cases in the state. New York also declared a state of emergency, as did San Francisco. Supervisor Janice Hahn tweeted Monday that she supports the emergency declaration. “I hope this will help vaccination efforts and ultimately help slow the spread of this virus,” Khan said in a tweet. Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement that the county “must draw on all available support to accelerate the distribution of vaccines and resources to those at risk and affected by this terrible disease. I will work to ensure that we do so quickly and effectively . We have no time to waste.” As of Monday, a total of 824 monkeypox cases had been confirmed in California — the second-highest of any state, behind New York’s 1,390 — while nationally, the total was 5,811, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA. Disease Control and Prevention. There were more than 400 cases in Los Angeles County as of Tuesday, mostly among gay men. Monkeypox is generally transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact resulting from infectious rashes and scabies, although respiratory secretions and body fluids exchanged during extensive physical episodes such as sexual intercourse can also lead to transmission, according to the CDC. It can also be spread through sharing items such as bedding and towels. Symptoms include fresh pimples, blisters, rashes, fever and fatigue. There is no specific treatment. People who have been infected with or vaccinated against smallpox may be immune to monkeypox. According to health officials, the vaccine can prevent infection if given before or shortly after exposure to the virus. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are at increased risk of contracting the virus, according to the CDC. Last week, the Board of Supervisors voted to lobby federal health officials for more supplies of monkeypox vaccines and increased funding for testing and administering the vaccines. The county is slowly expanding eligibility for the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine, but supplies remain extremely limited. In Los Angeles County, monkeypox vaccines are available to people who have been confirmed by the Department of Public Health to have had high-risk or direct contact with a known monkeypox patient and to people who attended an event or visited a venue where they were at high risk of exposure to a confirmed case. These individuals are generally located through the county’s contact tracing efforts and will be notified by the county. The shots are also available for gay and bisexual men and transgender people diagnosed with rectal gonorrhea or early syphilis in the past year. Also eligible for the shots are gay or bisexual men or transgender people who are taking HIV exposure prevention or PrEP or who attended or worked in a commercial sex venue or other setting where they had anonymous or multiple-partner sex — such as in a sauna, bath or sex club — in the last 21 days. Eligibility was expanded on Tuesday to include gay or bisexual men or transgender people aged 18 and over who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the past 14 days. People who think they meet any of the criteria can contact their health care provider to see if that provider can administer the vaccine. Qualified individuals who do not have a health care provider — or whose provider does not carry the vaccine — can either make an appointment at a designated vaccine clinic or visit a hosted location. Information is available at ph.lacounty.gov/monkeypox. A list of monkeypox vaccine locations is available here. The county has also activated a website where residents can fill out an online form to see if they can get a shot and pre-register to be added to a waiting list. People who register on the site and are eligible for the vaccine will receive a text message when it is available with information on where to get the vaccine. The registration site is here. The county on Wednesday will open a monkeypox vaccination site at the West Hollywood library, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., for people who have pre-registered for the shot. It will be open by appointment only from 9am to 6pm The vaccine is a two-shot regimen, so additional supplies will be held to provide second doses to those who received the initial vaccine. Copyright © 2022 by City News Service, Inc. All rights reserved.
