Mpox Cases In US On The Rise, According To CDC Data

CNN (3/28, McPhillips) reports, “Mpox cases in the United States are twice as high as they were at this time last year, and experts are stressing the importance of improving vaccination coverage as transmission risks rise.” CNN says “there have been 511 cases reported this year through March 16, according to data from the” CDC “-- compared with fewer than 300 cases by late March 2023.” The publication notes that “transmission rates are still far below levels from 2022, when there were tens of thousands of cases in the US.” However, “after a quieter year last year, experts say the US is vulnerable to increases in spread in a number of ways.” The public health emergency expired over “a year ago, cutting the amount of federal resources available to manage the public health response. And relatively low vaccination rates leave many at risk.”