INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) announced Friday that a total of 45 monkeypox cases have been reported across the state between June 18 and July 28, including two pediatric cases.
To date, Indiana has received 3,232 doses of the Jynneos vaccine. Due to limited supply, vaccines are initially being prioritized for close contact with positive cases to prevent severe disease. More vaccine is expected soon, and eligibility will be expanded to groups at high risk for exposure as supplies increase.
IDOH Commissioner Kris Box, M.D. said, “Monkeypox does not easily spread through brief casual contact, but anyone can be affected if they are a close contact with a positive case.”
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, which is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox. Symptoms are similar to smallpox but milder. It is rarely fatal.
The illness typically begins with fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, and exhaustion about five to 21 days after exposure. Several days after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash that can start in any part of the body before spreading. The illness lasts about two to four weeks.
Person-to-person transmission is possible either through skin-to-skin contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, contaminated items like bedding and clothing, or through exposure to respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.
To learn more, visit www.monkeypox.health.in.gov or the CDC’s monkeypox website.