The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said two cases of Monkeypox disease have been identified in children in the United States. The two cases are not related and probably the result of household transmission.
The US CDC said one case of the disease is a toddler who is a resident of California, and the other is an infant who is not a resident of the United States. Public health officials are also investigating how the children were infected.
According to the US CDC, both the children have symptoms but are in good health and receiving treatment with an antivirus medication called tecovirimat or TPOXX, which the US CDC recommends for children under the age of 8 because the children are considered to be at high risk from Monkeypox infection.
The US CDC said the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine is being made available for children through some special expanded use protocols. The US CDC has also developed new guidance for healthcare providers about treating, identifying, and preventing monkeypox in teenagers and children.
Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director for Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology of US CDC, said the cases in children had not been surprising and that the United States should be ready to more.
She said the social networks that they have as humans mean that they have contact with a lot of different people in the country.
