State of Monkeypox Emergency Declared in New York

There's a state of monkeypox emergency in New York.

Governor Kathy Hochul has issued an Executive Order declaring a State Disaster Emergency for the ongoing monkeypox outbreak.

"After reviewing the latest data on the monkeypox outbreak in New York State, I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our aggressive ongoing efforts to confront this outbreak," Governor Hochul said. "More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York State, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond."

Monkeypox Vaccines

More than 100,000 vaccine doses are being sent to New York to deal with the monkeypox outbreak that EMS personnel, pharmacists, and midwives can now administer under the Governor's Executive Order.

There have been a total of 1,383 confirmed orthopoxvirus/monkeypox cases as of July 29, 2022. 80 of those cases are in New York, according to the state Department of Health.

Monkeypox is a rare, viral infection that does not usually cause serious illness. However, it can result in hospitalization or death. That's why health officials in New York, the U.S., and around the world are monitoring cases of monkeypox in areas that do not usually report monkeypox infections, including in New York State.

Monkeypox Symptoms

Monkeypox spreads through close, physical contact between people. This means anyone can get monkeypox. Symptoms range from rashes, bumps, or blisters on or around the genitals or hands, feet, chest, or face. Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue may occur before or after the rash appears.

Text Alerts

You can sign up to receive alerts about cases, symptoms, spread, and resources for testing and vaccination. Just text "MONKEYPOX" to 81336. If you provide a zip code, you can also opt-in for location-based messages.