Gov. Inslee Issues Monkeypox Directive for Dept. of Health

Getty Images

Friday, Gov. Inslee issued a directive to the Department of Health for what he says will be the way to deal with Monkeypox.

WA State has 254 cases, according to state officials

Inslee has issued a new directive, 22-18, that lays out a plan of action for the DOH to deal with the virus. According to Inslee's office:

"Although rarely fatal, MPV can be extremely painful and scarring. There are existing vaccines to help prevent infection and reduce the severity of illness. There are currently no known deaths due to this virus in Washington, however this outbreak is an evolving serious public health concern. It is critical that DOH continues to utilize every tool at its disposal to prevent and control the spread of this virus. "

The methodology of the Directive includes the following steps, according to Inslee's release:

"Conducting comprehensive public outreach and education within appropriate communities;
Prioritizing equitable distribution of existing treatments;
Supporting provider education to ensure MPV vaccine is maximized;
Monitoring case counts and demographic data;
Convening a series of roundtables with key stakeholders and legislators;
Working with and supporting local health jurisdictions; and
Maintaining adequate testing capacity and addressing identified reporting gaps"

The first case of Monkeypox in this latest issue was confirmed in the U.S. on May 17th of this year. This is not the first time cases had been found here. In 2003, a small outbreak happened on the East Coast when a shipment of monkeys from Ghana bound for some pet stores brought with them the virus, and a small number of persons were infected.