Health officials in Colorado and elsewhere in the United States are reporting encouraging trends in the ongoing monkeypox outbreak, as eligibility for vaccinations expands.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that the global outbreak “may be turning a corner,” with infections in some European countries and in major U.S. hotspots declining. In Colorado, early data indicates cases in the final week of August have also dropped, though a state official cautioned that the data is still considered preliminary.

State health officials are “starting to see encouraging trends in recent monkeypox data,” a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health and Environment said in an email this week. More vaccines have arrived from the federal government, and increasing awareness of the virus and how its spread may be helping, as well.

As of Friday morning, 235 people have tested positive for monkeypox in Colorado, according to state data. The bulk of those cases were identified in August, but preliminary data suggests infections may be dropping. In mid-August, 43 cases were reported in one week. In the month’s final week, there were just 17 cases reported, matching with national trends.

Though anyone can catch monkeypox via close physical contact, its spread has been primarily among men who have sex with men. The state has partnered with LGBT organizations and health centers to target at-risk Coloradans, and eligibility for the limited number of vaccines has been kept largely for people in that group.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded eligibility this week. Anyone – regardless of sexual preferences – can be vaccinated against monkeypox if, in the past two weeks, they’ve been exposed to a confirmed monkeypox case; had multiple or anonymous sexual partners; or were in a place where group or casual sex occurred. People are also eligible if they have been diagnosed with gonorrhea or chlamydia in the past three months, take medication to prevent HIV infection or engage in transactional sex. 

Black and Latino people have made up disproportionately large shares of those infected with monkeypox, both nationally and in Colorado, data shows. To address that disparity, federal officials have targeted at-risk people of color in an effort to remove barriers to vaccines.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.