IL reports more than 1,000 monkeypox cases across state, 9 in metro-east. What to know
The Illinois Department of Public Health has reported 1,049 monkeypox cases in the state as of Monday afternoon.
More than 80% of those cases, or 815, are in Chicago, according to the state’s health department. IDPH has reported six cases in St. Clair County and three in Madison County, as well as additional cases across the state.
Illinois counties where IDPH has reported cases also include Sangamon, Macon, Champaign, Woodford, McLean, Rock Island, Kankakee, Will, Kendall, DeKalb, Kane, Winnebago, McHenry, Lake, Cook and DuPage.
IDPH notes its monkeypox case counts are subject to change based on local health department interviews. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s numbers may differ based on reporting timeframes.
Monkeypox testing and vaccines in Illinois
Those who are interested in being tested for monkeypox in Illinois can contact their health care provider about availability. Health care professionals perform tests by swabbing in and around a patient’s lesions and sending the sample to a lab.
Demand for the monkeypox vaccine currently outweighs supply in Illinois, and the CDC does not recommend widespread monkeypox vaccination. IDPH says vaccination may be recommended for some people in the following categories:
People who are close personal contacts with people who have contracted monkeypox
Those who may have been exposed to the virus
Individuals who may be at a higher risk of getting monkeypox, such as laboratory workers who test samples to diagnose the disease
People who live in high-burden case areas can contact their local health department about vaccine availability, IDPH says.
The age demographic most commonly contracting reported monkeypox cases includes those between 30 and 34 years old, according to IDPH. Here’s a breakdown of the state’s weekly caseload change over time:
July 22: +63 cases
July 29: +177
Aug. 5: +189
Aug. 12: +168
Aug. 19: +135
Aug. 26: +99
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Aug. 15 federal authorities would make up to 442,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine available for states and local jurisdictions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization to allow health care professionals to inject the vaccine in the upper skin layer, stretching the JYNNEOS supply by up to five times.
ACAM2000 is the other vaccine that can be used against monkeypox in the U.S. The FDA has approved its use against smallpox, and it’s been made available against monkeypox through an Expanded Access Investigational New Drug application.
The CDC has reported 18,101 confirmed monkeypox cases in the U.S., according to data last updated Monday afternoon. Here’s where cases have been reported:
Note: This graphic will update automatically as new data become available.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 10:48 AM.
