The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) hosted a Press conference Thursday morning on the current status on Monkey Pox in the state.

ODH Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff says case numbers are still very low in Ohio, and most cases that have been reported are in metropolitan areas such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. 

Dr. Vanderhoff says that while Monkey Pox does not spread as easily as COVID-19 and over 90% of cases have been reported in men who have sexual intercourse with other men, it's important to remember that the virus can still be caught by anybody.

Dr. Vanderhoff went on to say that a significant challenge with Monkey Pox is the lack of availability of the Jynneos Vaccine due to supply shortages.

The current Jynneos supply is currently being allocated to states based on the severity of their case numbers. With Ohio only having 75 cases as of Wednesday, allocations have been less than other states.

Dr. Vanderhoff says until this week, Ohio has been sent 4,253 doses which is enough to fully vaccinate just over 2,000 people as this is a two-dose vaccine. However, more vaccines have been allocated and this week, the state has been sent 5,440 doses.

Dr. Vanderhoff hopes for an eventual total of 13,560 doses.

Ohio Health Medical Director of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Joseph Gastaldo says it's currently unclear whether or not the vaccine will prevent folks from getting Monkey Pox entirely or not, but emphasizes that the vaccine is "not a free pass."

"It may be that after someone is fully vaccinated, they can still get Monkey Pox but their case will be milder. So we need people to understand this: It's not a free pass if you get the vaccine whether it be one dose or two doses," Dr. Gastaldo said.

Dr. Gastaldo went on to say most people who do get Monkey Pox will not need any treatment at all, but some people who have Monkey Pox can still have uncontrolled pain or itching, so those infected should still remain cautious and isolate themselves.

Additionally, Dr. Gastaldo says there is a medication available for those who have a more severe infection or for those with medical conditions putting them at risk for higher severe disease.

Those conditions include pregnancy, those who are breastfeeding, those who are immunocompromised, those who have advanced HIV infections or those who have severe outbreaks.

This medication is known a T-Pox and is available through the CDC and ODH.

The full press conference can be viewed here.