Monkeypox

New York has expanded the criteria residents need to receive the monkeypox vaccine.

Governor Kathy Hochul said COVID-19 rules will be eased for New York’s schoolchildren this year and masks and social distancing will no longer be required. The governor and state health officials also gave an update on the spread of monkeypox, which for the first time has infected a child.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wants the federal government to act quickly in providing the funding needed for resources that include more monkeypox vaccinations and testing with a recent spike in cases.

How concerned should we be about monkeypox with an upcoming school year quickly approaching?

WSHU’s Mike Lyle spoke with Dr. Jo-Anne Passalacqua, an infectious disease expert with Hartford Healthcare, to discuss what college students need to know about monkeypox.

There are now 57 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Connecticut, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. will declare a public health emergency to bolster the federal response to the outbreak of monkeypox that already has infected more than 6,600 Americans, two people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

NOAA predicts flooding will increase in the region next year.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she and state health officials are confronting the ongoing outbreaks of two diseases, COVID-19 and monkeypox. She also said the state is launching two programs to better respond to future health crises.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York wants President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to manufacturer more monkeypox vaccines to curb the spread of the disease in her state.