More than 200 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Maryland, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Montgomery County health officials.
More than 1,300 people have pre-registered for a monkeypox, or MPX, vaccine through the county’s recently-launched preregistration survey as of the end of last week, said Kimberly Townsend, Senior Administrator for Communicable Diseases and Epidemiology with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), during a media briefing Wednesday.
The county began administering vaccines to people identified through the preregistration process starting last Friday and 300 first and second doses will be administered through the end of this week. There were 215 cases in Maryland as of Tuesday, Townsend said.
Cases continue to increase in the state, she said. As of Aug. 4, there were 157 cases in Maryland, according to the county. On July 26, there were 87 cases.
DHHS released the preregistration survey for vaccination appointments last week. 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?”
County Executive Marc Elrich said a virtual town hall about monkeypox is being planned for Monday, Aug. 22.
Townsend said vaccine doses are still limited but the county is expecting more in coming months. The county continues to work with the state health department to make sure doses are available to high-risk exposures. She said it is a two-dose vaccine, with the second dose administered 28 days after the first.
