This 1997 image was created during a investigation into an outbreak of monkeypox, which took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 1996 to 1997, formerly Zaire, and depicts the palms of a monkeypox case patient from Lodja, a city located within the Katako-Kombe Health Zone, of the DRC. (CDC via Bay City News)

California public health officials called on the federal government this week to supply more than 500,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus.

In a letter sent Tuesday to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Tomas Aragon expressed a need for at least 600,000 to 800,000 doses of the two-dose Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox and smallpox, which is developed by the Danish biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic.

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Eli covers public health, transportation and state politics for the Bay City News Foundation, serves as the main editor of the Public Health and COVID-19 Information Hub and assists with Local News Matters' social media strategy. He has also previously covered local politics in San Diego County as well as college and professional sports across the Bay Area.