SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – As monkeypox cases continue to crop up worldwide, the spread has arrived to the Bay Area.
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In recent weeks, some Bay Area counties, such as San Francisco, have confirmed cases.
To combat the spread, Bay Area clinics will soon be offering vaccinations against the virus. But the shots will be limited to people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Federal health officials are planning to immediately release more than 50,000 doses of a new monkeypox vaccine, as part of a national effort to protect people who may have had close personal contact with infected individuals.
The virus spreads through close personal, intimate skin contact.
The first tier of vaccines will go to states with the most cases and where the population is the most at risk, including California.
For those who are at high risk for monkeypox, the vaccine is critical. But for the majority of the population, there shouldn’t be too much concern over contracting the virus, according to Dr. John Swartzberg, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Infectious Diseases at UC Berkeley.
"Frankly, I don't spend my day worrying about getting monkeypox," he said. "I do spend my day, of course, worrying about getting COVID-19."
"I don't think we're going to see anything possibly like COVID-19 with monkeypox," he added. "That said, if you're at high risk for getting monkeypox, you have to do everything you can to avoid that."
So far, no one in the United States has died from the virus.
But some have criticized the CDC's vaccination as too little too late, and the slow response could make the disease endemic to the United States, particularly among gay men.
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