ATLANTA, Ga. (WFLA) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in response to the monkeypox outbreak.
This move will increase the amount of personnel and resources being used to identify, treat and prevent the spread of the disease. Over 300 cases have been identified in the U.S. so far, including 27 in Florida, but experts worry that the actual number may be higher.
The agency has been ramping up its response to the disease since it was discovered in the U.S. in May, with a focus on expanding testing and helping health care workers identify the disease. On Tuesday, the White House announced plans to distribute tens of thousands of vaccine doses immediately, with nearly 300,000 preparing to ship out in the coming weeks.
The CDC recommends that the new doses be provided to people with confirmed or presumed exposure to monkeypox.
This includes those who had close contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox, those who know their sexual partner was diagnosed with monkeypox, and men who have sex with men who have recently had multiple sex partners in a venue where there was confirmed monkeypox, or in an area where monkeypox is spreading.
The CDC Emergency Operations Center is where health experts monitor public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.
