monkeypox

Early fears of an escalating outbreak have not come to pass. Scientists are finding that the virus needs a very particular set of circumstances to spread effectively.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis is steering the U.S. monkeypox response. A month into the job, he sees signs of success, but there's still more to be done.

Missteps and delays have hampered the U.S. effort to vaccinate people against monkeypox. Now state health officials and community members are trying to adapt to a controversial "dose sparing" plan.

One clinic had to recruit medical students to come answer the monkeypox hotline. "They are returning, in a day, over 50 voicemails," Dr. Shira Heisler said. “People are worried. I have people driving two hours to get this vaccine. I have people crossing state lines to get this vaccine.”

Only one company makes the currently used monkeypox vaccine. Supply is limited in wealthy nations like the U.S. Less well-off nations, like Nigeria, where the outbreak began, have no vaccines at all.

Countries like the United States that don't normally report monkeypox are noticing an increase of cases. Here's what you need to know about the virus, the cases in Michigan, and vaccination options.

Michigan health officials announced a massive expansion of eligibility for the MPV vaccine, just as the FDA issued an emergency use authorization that means the 6,400 doses the state has on hand could immunize more than 30,000 people.

Declaring a public health emergency can free up resources to help the administration respond to the monkeypox outbreak. So far more than 6,000 people in the U.S. have been infected.

There are 62 confirmed cases of monkeypox statewide as of Wednesday. State health officials expect cases to rise.

Michigan has received 3,800 doses of monkeypox vaccine from the federal government and will use them for first doses for people who may have been exposed.