MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — Maricopa County officials are working to secure more monkeypox vaccines from state and federal agencies as the county records more cases.
The county recorded four additional cases this week bringing the total to five cases of the virus.
While they are working to get more of the vaccines, health officials are limiting the current supply to those who need it most.
"Monkeypox is still a rare disease. It is not as easily transmitted as COVID-19 for example," Dr. Nick Staab with the county explained.
The virus starts with a fever but other symptoms include:
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
"While we do have vaccine and treatment for monkeypox. Most cases of monkeypox don't require any treatment," Staab said. "They're relatively mild cases and individuals recover in a matter of weeks."
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How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.