As part of the state’s ongoing response to the orthopoxvirus (monkeypox) outbreak, Governor Gavin Newsom on August 1, 2022, declared a State of Emergency to bolster the state’s response to the monkeypox outbreak. The proclamation supports the work underway by the California Department of Public Health and others to coordinate a whole-of-government response to monkeypox, bolster vaccination efforts, and expand outreach and education to inform Californians about monkeypox and ways to limit its spread.

As of August 9, 2022, the state had distributed more than 62,000 vaccine doses, allocating vaccine to local health departments based on a number of factors, including the number of reported monkeypox cases in an area and estimate of at-risk populations. (The state provides weekly updates on Tuesday on the vaccine allocation by local health department. For the most up to date figures, see the CDPH monkeypox vaccine page.)

To expand vaccination efforts, the proclamation also enables emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to administer monkeypox vaccines that are approved by the FDA, similar to the statutory authorization recently enacted for pharmacists to administer vaccines.The state's public health laboratory leaders have also been working with local public health, academic and commercial laboratories to ensure testing capacity is increasingly available and coordinated with the public health response.

For additional information on monkeypox symptoms, testing, treatment and vaccination, view the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites.