Two children in Washington come down with monkey pox as cases climb across country

At least two children have become sick with monkeypox in Washington, and the numbers across the country are climbing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox in the U.S.

The CDC and the Washington Department of Health have also tallied nearly 400 cases in Washington.

A monkeypox hotline has been active since August 11 for people across Washington; residents can call the hotline for the latest info on the monkeypox virus. The spread across the U.S. comes as the World Health Organization says the number of monkeypox cases reported globally declined by 21% last week.

Washington health officials have stressed that even though the virus is having a heavier impact on the LGBTQIA+ community, it is a disease anyone can catch — and health officials want people and health care providers in Washington to be open to the possibility that a rash could indeed be monkeypox.

Washington health officials did emphasize there is some fairly robust testing available for monkeypox. The state public health lab can do it and commercial labs are also moving towards testing.

Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah had a message for anyone concerned about monkeypox: “Our message to the general population and to all of us is if you have a rash that you’re not sure what it is, get it checked out, keep it covered,” he said. “Be careful with your contacts with others, avoid direct skin contact and sharing items with anyone in your household until you get it checked out.”

Washington’s monkeypox hotline will not be used to set up vaccine appointments.

During the DoH’s latest briefing, health officials also said a COVID-19 booster that has protection against the contagious omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 will be available after Labor Day, but supply at first could be limited. They are asking for patience, as the booster will probably go to the highest-risk individuals first.

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