The Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) reported Wednesday that three children have tested positive for monkeypox.
To tackle the outbreak of monkeypox, which totals 526 confirmed cases, Dallas County now has 32,000 doses of the vaccine available for use.
“That’s why we ask adults to be very careful around children if you have any symptoms or monkeypox,” said Christian Grisales with DCHHS. “What you need to do immediately is to isolate, get tested, and if you qualify for the vaccine, get vaccinated immediately.”
Health officials would not give the ages of the infected children except to report that they are all under 18.
Earlier in the month, Harris County reported the first presumptive case of monkeypox in a child under two.
Despite monkeypox being transmitted through skin-on-skin contact, for now, DCHHS will not expand the criteria to qualify for the vaccine, which is currently available only to those who have had contact with an infected individual and men who have sex with other men.
Speaking to CBS News, Dr. James Pinckney, founder and CEO of Diamond Health, says there is no concern that child infections present a more serious problem but added that good hygiene and monitoring systems are essential.
“I think what we should do is continue to be cautious; monkeypox has spread to individuals that typically aren’t contracting the disease,” Pinckney said.
“When the outbreak first started, it was caused by sexual contact, and now we’re seeing more and more cases where people have come into direct contact with monkeypox or someone infected with monkeypox, and it is spreading in a different manner,” said Pinckney.
Out of the confirmed cases in Dallas County, five are women. The total of 526 is up a hundred from last week, but health officials believe the spread is slowing.