Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter launched the Oakland County Monkeypox Task Force today to respond to the outbreak and educate the public about the illness. To date, the county has at least five confirmed or probable monkeypox cases, the highest of any county in Michigan.
Oakland County Health Officer Calandra Green will lead the task force which will help develop a communication and education plan about monkeypox and a strategy for outreach to the communities. They also will create a plan for the distribution of vaccines once they become more readily available.
“Oakland County has the largest number of cases of monkeypox in the state of Michigan and the population of individuals most at-risk of getting it exceeds our capacity to vaccinate them at the moment,” Coulter said. “That’s why I’m forming a task force to prepare for what may be to come.”
Task force members include Dr. Paul Benson, medical director at Be Well Medical Center in Berkley where he serves a large segment of the LGBTQ+ community, Oakland County Medical Director Dr. Russell Faust, Affirmations Executive Director Dave Garcia, a representative from Corktown Health in Hazel Park, and a representative from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Additional task force members may be named soon.
Coulter also urged the federal government to increase the availability of doses of monkeypox vaccine.
“We know that the number of cases will increase. I’m urgently calling on the federal government and the Centers for Disease Control to expedite the development and production of the drugs that will help prevent and treat this emerging virus,” he said.
The federal government allocated only 2,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine to the state of Michigan of which Oakland County Health Division has enough doses to vaccinate 340 people. Because of that small number, preventative vaccination is not yet an option. Rather, the vaccines will go to individuals who have already been exposed to the virus. Specific quantities and timelines for delivery of more vaccine are not yet known.
In the meantime, Oakland County Health Division has been responding to the outbreak through contact tracing and monitoring. So far, all monkeypox cases in the county have been among adult males.
”We are committed to diligently working to contain the spread of monkeypox in Oakland County,” Green said. “The community can help by knowing their risks and seeking testing if they experience any symptoms of monkeypox.
In addition to the steps the Health Division is already taking to reduce the spread of the illness, vigilance and preventative vaccination, once adequate supply becomes available, will be the key to eliminating monkeypox from our region.
“Unlike the COVID vaccine, we can actually eradicate monkeypox from our area with preventative vaccination that focuses on males who have high risk factors in their lifestyles,” Benson said. “Until an adequate supply of vaccine arrives, people need to be aware of how the disease can spread from one person to another and watch for signs and symptoms of the virus.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus can spread from person to person through:
• direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
• respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex
• touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
• pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta
It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal.
Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. At this time, it is not known if monkeypox can spread through semen or vaginal fluids.
Individuals with questions about monkeypox may contact the Oakland County Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533 or email noc@oakgov.com.
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