GOV. JB PRITZKER DECLARES MONKEYPOX VIRUS OUTBREAK A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

Gov. JB Pritzker declared monkeypox a public health emergency today.

Declaring the state a “disaster area” allows the Illinois Dept. of Public Health to better coordinate with other state agencies and the federal government on vaccine distribution and disease prevention.

According to the IDPH, Illinois has reported 520 cases of confirmed or presumptive monkeypox virus, the third most in the country.

The state has reportedly received more than 7,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine, with 13,000 additional amounts expected in the near future.