Texas monkeypox cases rising, Dallas County has most in the state

DALLAS, Texas - Monkeypox cases continue to rise across Texas.

454 cases of the virus have been detected in the state this year, according to the Department of State Health Services.

All but 7 of the reported cases were found in men.

Dallas County has the most monkeypox cases of any Texas county with 175.

The county received 5,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine last week.

Dallas County Health and Human Services director Dr. Philip Huang says more are needed.

"5,000 doses sounds like a lot, but if you consider two doses it only treats 2,500 people so it's not as much as it sounds," Dr. Huang said.

Dallas County approved moving $100,000 in the budget to the health department for costs associated with the monkeypox outbreak.

Only certain groups are eligible to receive a monkeypox vaccine in Dallas County at this time:

Persons who had close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has tested positive for monkeypox.
Men 18+ who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the past 14 days (cis or trans men who have sex with men).

Dallas County to expand eligibility for monkeypox vaccine as outbreak grows

With more than 160 cases, Dallas County has the largest outbreak in the state. One of the biggest concerns for people who believe they may be at risk is access to a vaccine. Monday, the county announced it’s expanding that access.

The CDC says there are currently more than 5,800 monkeypox cases nationwide.