On Friday, Illinois health officials announced dozens of children may have been exposed to the monkeypox virus after a day care worker tested positive outside Champaign, Illinois.
It’s possible, and even expected, to see infections in children, health experts say.
The World Health Organization and CDC said children are more prone to develop severe disease or complications from monkeypox compared with teens and adults, particularly those younger than 8 years old.
Kids get a lot of rashes, health experts say, so it’s important for parents to see a health care provider if a rash appears on their child.
Like isolation measures related to COVID-19, children infected with monkeypox should avoid contact with uninfected people and pets until the rash has resolved, the scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed
The monkeypox vaccine Jynneos has been authorized for emergency use and may be recommended for children under 18 who have been exposed to monkeypox.
But health experts say children are more likely to contract other rash-causing diseases, like chickenpox and measles, than the monkeypox virus, and recommend parents stay up to date with their child’s immunization schedule
Although it's possible for children to contract monkeypox at home, Bartlett said, she's not "at all concerned about transmission" in schools.
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