CDC confirms false-positive monkeypox test result for Harris County child under 2 years old

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There was a sigh of relief during Tuesday's briefing with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo after officials announced the child under 2 years old presumed positive with monkeypox is a false positive.

SEE RELATED STORY: Child under 2 in Harris County presumed positive for monkeypox

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the Harris County child who presumptively tested positive last week does not have monkeypox.

The diagnosis was made after the parents noticed a rash and took the child in for an exam. The child is expected to make a full recovery.

The federal government said it is OK to give the monkeypox vaccine to kids six months or older.

SEE RELATED STORY: 2 more children in US test positive for monkeypox

Judge Hidalgo also announced further expanding vaccine eligibility to include more at-risk populations. Officials have recently expanded eligibility to individuals living with HIV and anyone diagnosed with chlamydia. Before that, vaccines were available for anyone considered high-risk or had potentially been exposed to someone with the virus.

"Last week, we were able to expand (vaccine eligibility) to those living with HIV, and this week we have adopted all (Texas) Department of State Health Services recommendations," Dr. Ericka Brown with Harris County Public Health said. "That (now includes) men having sex with men, as well as anyone who has a skin condition known as atopic dermatitis, and or eczema, and some other immunocompromising conditions."

Last week, the county received 10,100 additional vaccines, and Hidalgo said they currently have 9,000 doses of the two-dose vaccine available.

That's good news to Austin Davis Ruiz of The Montrose Center, an LGBTQ+ community center, but he said having more vaccines on hand isn't the only way to fight the virus.

"We need to continue to do outreach to the community, the LGBTQ+ community," Ruiz said. "We need to make it easily accessible."

You can call 832-927-7070 for more information on monkeypox and vaccines from the Harris County Health Department.

SEE ALSO: Harris County to receive more doses of monkeypox vaccine after child presumed positive for virus

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