Children Could Have Been Exposed to Monkeypox After Child Care Employee in Rantoul Township, Champaign County Tests Positive

Health officials in Illinois stated on Friday that several children might have been exposed to the monkeypox virus after a daycare center employee tested positive for the illness. The number of kids who may have been exposed to the virus is currently unknown. According to officials, the daycare has been cleaned and is still open.

Monkeypox Case In Rantoul Area Near Champaign County

Although there haven't been any new cases yet, the daycare in the Illinois town of Rantoul, near Champaign, is currently screening its children and staff.

State officials said during a press conference on Friday afternoon that all available state, local, and federal resources are being deployed to assist families. In the coming days, health officials will continue communicating with families and offering them resources and information. Pediatricians were present to examine kids for potential illnesses and to administer mobile testing and vaccinations to families.

The person who has monkeypox also works in a "home health care," and health officials have already spoken to a client who has been affected. The individual with the disease is being kept in isolation under medical supervision and is doing well, ABC News reported.

At the state's request, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the vaccine for anyone younger than 18 years old. It implies that anyone with their guardian's consent will receive vaccinations. According to officials, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker had been in touch with the White House.

ABC News has reached out to the FDA and the White House to inquire whether a formal authorization has been granted for kids to receive the JYNNEOS vaccine.

The FDA told ABC News on Tuesday that a large number of kids have been given access through a case-by-case permission system. A doctor may submit a request to the FDA if they determine that a patient under 18 was exposed to monkeypox and that the vaccine's benefits outweigh any possible risks. The FDA stated that many of these requests were approved without specifying the exact number.

According to NBC Chicago, Pritzker declared monkeypox a public health emergency, identifying the state as a disaster area for the illness.

(Photo : David Mark/Pixabay)
child patient

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Update On Monkeypox Cases

At least five children in the United States, according to state and local officials from all over the country, have tested positive for monkeypox.

The Biden administration declared the current monkeypox outbreak in the US a public health emergency on Thursday.

More than 28,000 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed worldwide by 88 countries, including 7,500 cases that have been reported domestically.

The disease typically spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact with lesions or bodily fluids from infected individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most common symptoms of monkeypox, which can also cause lesions that resemble pimples or blisters, include swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches.

At this time, it has been discovered that the majority of the monkeypox cases confirmed domestically and globally in the current outbreak are men who are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men.

Health officials have emphasized numerous times that the virus does not discriminate. Anyone exposed to monkeypox is susceptible to infection by the virus.