Monkeypox In Essex County: New Case Numbers Show Slow But Steady Spread

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — While Essex County still has the second highest number of monkeypox cases of New Jersey's 21 counties, it's not spreading very quickly, according to recently released state numbers.

A one-day monkeypox vaccine clinic for Essex County was held at the Livingston Mall this Monday afternoon. (See below for details about other clinics.)

The new numbers from Monday, Aug. 30, showed 92 confirmed cases on monkeypox.

This was up 12 cases from last Monday, Aug. 22, when 80 cases of monkeypox were counted in the county. Two weeks earlier, on Monday, Aug. 8, the case number was 50.

Also on Aug. 30, there were 132 cases counted in Hudson County, the county with the most cases. A week earlier, on Aug. 22, there were 118 cases in Hudson County. That's up from 73 two weeks earlier.

The total case number for all of New Jersey as of Monday was 504.

For perspective, in 2020, COVID spread quickly and killed 460 New Jersey residents in just one day in April.

Health experts have said that monkeypox is rarely fatal. No deaths have been announced in the state since the first case was reported publicly in Jersey City, in Hudson County, on June 20.

However, the virus can cause swollen lymph nodes and a rash that often begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. Health officials are hoping to keep symptoms mild and contain the virus.

Monkeypox is usually spread by "close contact" with an infected person. Many, but not all, of the cases have been spread among men who have sex with men.

The state announced late last month that it has expanded vaccine eligibility to include:

• Individuals that attended an event where known monkeypox exposure occurred
• Individuals that identify as gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men, and/or transgender, gender non-conforming, or non-binary and who have a history of multiple or anonymous sex partners within the past 14 days.

Find out more about the vaccine and eligibility in New Jersey here.

LGBTQ+ advocates have questioned the messaging surrounding monkeypox, particularly involving the gay community, where the virus showed up early and created a new wave of stigma for a population that has been scapegoated during similar public health scares in the past.

Monday Clinic in Livingston

The JYNNEOS vaccine was scheduled for the Livingston Mall from 2-7 p.m. Information is available at EssexCountyNj.org.

Other North Jersey vaccine centers include, by appointment:

• Hyacinth AIDS Foundation/Project Living Out Loud! (Jersey City): 201-706-3480
• North Jersey Community Research Initiative (Newark): 973-483-3444, ext. 200
• Bergen New Bridge Medical Center: Annex 2 (white tent structure), 230 East Ridgewood Ave, Paramus Phone: 800-730-2762 Website: www.newbridgehealth.org

States With The Most Cases

See which states have the most cases with this CDC graphic.

Get the current case count and see information about the virus in New Jersey by clicking here.

Find out about the vaccine and eligibility in New Jersey here.

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Find out more about Monday's clinic here.