There were 349 cases of monkeypox reported in Maryland as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has used all allotted monkeypox vaccine doses for phase one and nearly all phase two doses have been administered or allocated for a second dose, said Kimberly Townsend, Senior Administrator for Communicable Diseases and Epidemiology with DHHS, during a media briefing Wednesday.
Officials requested more doses this week and hope to hear how many they will receive in the next day or so.
About 400 doses have been administered through the county, Townsend said. Some of that number includes second doses.
2,000 additional doses have been requested from the state, said Sean O’Donnell, DHHS Public Health Emergency Preparedness Manager. County officials are working with the state around “alternative administration” of the vaccine which would allow for existing doses to be used on more people with equal efficacy through a smaller dose, O’Donnell said.
As of last Tuesday, there were 215 cases in the state, according to county health officials.
DHHS has released a preregistration survey for vaccination appointments. The county has a limited supply of doses and appointments are not guaranteed and are based on eligibility and supply. Residents can access the survey on the county’s MPX website. Select the section titled “How Can I Get a Monkeypox Vaccination?”
Also, on Monday, Aug. 22 county officials will host a virtual town hall about monkeypox — the first in a series of town halls about the topic.
