Kentucky's top health official says there’s no way to predict the extent of monkeypox spread in the Commonwealth between now and the end of the year. Seven cases of the viral disease have been reported so far. Dr. Steven Stack said there are a lot of variables at work right now.
“It’s gonna take time for us to find how many people are out there. It’s going to take time for the systems in health care to become more robust so it becomes more a part of normal medical care, so there’s more immediate and ready access to testing and evaluation. And also, it depends on how much vaccine we can get and how quickly we get it and deploy it,” said Stack.
Monkeypox is spread through skin-to-skin contact and many cases have been in men having sex with men. Dr. Stack stressed infection is not limited to these individuals.
Stack noted this disease doesn’t pose a mortality risk like COVID does. Still, Stack added it shouldn’t be downplayed either.
“We shouldn’t minimize it because when people get it, they feel miserable and we know that if we are cavalier with these viruses, it gives them a chance to spread widely and to perhaps mutate and cause other problems,” said Stack.
The state public health commissioner said Kentucky’s initial shipment of vaccines will only cover 800 people. At this point, Stack noted it’s only for those who have been exposed to the disease.
