Mpox spread has slowed drastically in Maryland, across the country

Jan. 4—The spread of the mpox virus — which increased rapidly across the country between June and July, only to start dropping later in the summer — has slowed to a sluggish crawl.

The World Health Organization renamed the virus to mpox in November to reduce stigma and other problems associated with its former name, monkeypox.

Only five new cases of the virus were reported nationwide on Dec. 21, the last day for which data was available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Three-fourths of the 738 cases that have been reported in Maryland since the start of the outbreak are from three jurisdictions: Baltimore City, Prince George's County and Montgomery County. Most counties in the state, including Frederick County, never reported more than 10 cases of the virus.

Megan Hyrkas, assistant director of nursing and emerging infectious disease and prevention at the Frederick County Health Department, said she couldn't say for certain why the spread of mpox has progressed the way it has, or why Frederick County has had relatively few cases.

It could be a sign that people changed their behaviors, Hyrkas said, or that the vaccine rollout has been successful.

But, she said, "that's probably something we won't know until more research is done."

Mpox can cause a pimple- or blister-like rash to develop on multiple body parts, a fever, headache and chills, among other symptoms.

It can be spread by direct or indirect contact with the infectious rash, scabs or body fluids, or by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex.

As of Monday, Hyrkas said, Frederick County had administered 242 doses of the two-dose Jynneos vaccine. Statewide, 9,463 people had been vaccinated as of Dec. 22, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

Even as the spread of mpox continues to decline, the local Health Department is still encouraging people to get vaccinated against mpox, Hyrkas said.

The county Health Department held another vaccination clinic on Tuesday and will hold an additional clinic on Feb. 7. After that, the Health Department will evaluate remaining demand for the vaccine to decide whether to hold another clinic in March, Hyrkas said.

In the early stages of the mpox outbreak, supply of the Jynneos vaccine was limited across the country — despite the fact that, less than a decade ago, the U.S. had some 20 million doses of the drug in its federal stockpile. Most had expired by the time people in the country started getting sick with the virus in May.

At first, the Maryland Department of Health only received enough doses to vaccinate 3,202 people. Back then, vaccination was only recommended for those who had been potentially exposed to the virus in the previous two weeks.

Now, anyone at high risk of mpox infection can get vaccinated. Visit health.frederickcountymd.gov/693/Mpox to register for a vaccine appointment in Frederick County.

The importance of having a consistent vaccination schedule — the Health Department started offering mpox vaccines on the first Tuesday of every month in December — is a lesson the department learned from the coronavirus pandemic, Hyrkas said.

Another lesson, she said, is the necessity for the department to communicate regularly with high-risk communities.

Early on in the mpox outbreak, the Health Department reached out to The Frederick Center, a local nonprofit that advocates for and supports members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Though early data indicated that a substantial percentage of mpox cases reported were among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, the virus is not a sexually transmitted disease. Anyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can be infected with the virus.

Still, many LGBTQ+ advocates and health professionals were concerned about the possibility of repeating mistakes made during the HIV and AIDS outbreak, and stigmatizing mpox as a "gay disease."

Several months later, Alex Biggus — director of the Frederick HIV Coalition — said he's been pleased with the local and state health departments' response to the outbreak of the virus.

In October, the county Health Department partnered with The Frederick Center to hold a vaccination clinic at the nonprofit's offices in downtown Frederick. The Health Department also held a clinic at the Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ, another welcoming space for people who are LGBTQ+, Hyrkas said.

"I think Maryland and Frederick did a good job of not just listening to the professionals," Biggus said, "but also listening to the community and being very humble."

Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier