By Michelle Andrews -
KHN
Andy Stone is one of the lucky ones.
This New York City resident saw a tweet from a local HIV/AIDS activist saying monkeypox vaccines would be available that day at a clinic in Manhattan.
Stone, 35, and her husband made appointments right away and got vaccinated last month.
“I want to do what I can to protect myself and others
,” said Stone, a marketing consultant who lives in Brooklyn, explaining that his primary care doctor advised him to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Hundreds of men who showed up without an appointment and waited in a meandering line around the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic that day were not so lucky.
The 200 available doses were quickly running out, according to New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher, whose district includes the Chelsea neighborhood, and who has been urgently calling for more vaccines.
Andy Stone was vaccinated against monkeypox in June at a clinic in New York.
He was able to make an appointment, but many other people have not been able to due to lack of supply. Courtesy of Andy Stone
The first case of monkeypox in the United States was confirmed in mid-May.
As cases rose to 767 nationwide as of July 9, public health experts have noted similarities to the government's hesitant response to COVID-19.
"We're six weeks in and we still have issues with testing availability and vaccine supply, just like we did with the coronavirus," said Gregg Gonsalves, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health.
It is not the same as the coronavirus
Monkey (or simian) pox is not COVID-19.
The coronavirus has killed more than 1 million Americans, but no one has died from a monkeypox infection in the United States during the current outbreak.
People cannot get it simply by walking into a room and breathing the same air as an infected person.
The monkeypox virus, which is in the same family as smallpox, usually causes painful, pimple-like sores on the face, hands, feet, chest, or genitals, along with fever and swollen lymph nodes .
[Experts Explain Reason for Increasing Monkeypox Outbreak]
Until the lesions scab over and heal, people can infect others through close physical contact or by touching things like bedding that came in contact with the rash.
People usually
recover from monkeypox in two to four weeks.
In just a few weeks, the US has recorded more cases of monkeypox than in the entire 20th century.
June 29, 202201:32
Most of the infections identified so far have been in men who have sex with men, and many of the cases are in Europe.
But the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on July 1 that cases are emerging among other groups, in some cases among people such as household members, heterosexual people and children.
Up to 10% of patients have been hospitalized, according to the WHO.
There are vaccines, but the demand is higher
There are two vaccines available to protect people against monkeypox, Jynneos and ACAM2000.
Federal officials are focused on prioritizing the supply of Jynneos, given in two doses 28 days apart, because it has fewer side effects and can be used in immunocompromised people.
The ACAM2000 vaccine does not.
At the moment, however, vaccine distribution is trickle down, and providers on the front lines say now is when they need it.
[CDC Warns Gay, Bisexual Men of Monkeypox Outbreak]
In recent days, federal officials have announced a three-pronged response to the monkeypox outbreak that includes increased vaccine rollout, easier access to testing, and a campaign to educate the public and providers about the disease and promote vaccines. among those most at risk, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community.
"While monkeypox poses minimal risk to most Americans,
we are doing everything we can to offer vaccines to those at high risk
of contracting the virus," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said. it's a statement.
"This new strategy allows us to maximize the supply of currently available vaccines and reach those who are most vulnerable to the current outbreak."
New York begins new round of monkeypox vaccination
July 12, 202200:23
Initially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that people get vaccinated only if they had been exposed to someone with the virus.
The federal guidance has been expanded to a much larger group, including men who have sex with men, and multiple partners in areas where the virus is circulating.
On July 1, the CDC said it had purchased additional doses of the Jynneos vaccine, made by Bavarian Nordic A/S, bringing the total number of doses available in 2022 and 2023 to 4 million. On July 6, the federal government said that it had distributed 41,520 “patient courses” on the vaccine in 42 jurisdictions.
A drop in the ocean
New York City received an initial 1,000 doses that were made available at the Chelsea clinic, but then did not receive any more for nearly two weeks.
In Washington, DC, 300 vaccine appointments that were available at the end of June sold out in minutes.
In Los Angeles, as of July 1, 800 doses of vaccine had been distributed to people close to others with the disease.
In a news release, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it would provide more doses to high-risk groups as supply increased.
In early July, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said it had approved nearly 6,000 additional doses of the vaccine, which would be available at two city clinics.
However, a software glitch prevented appointments from being scheduled.
A resumption is expected next week, while residents are exasperated.
The WHO assures that monkeypox should not be considered an international health emergency
June 26, 202200:23
The City has recorded 160 suspected cases of monkeypox, officials said.
The doses for New York will be a drop in the ocean, criticized health providers.
With three locations, the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center serves 20,000 primarily LGBTQ+ patients, many of whom are eager to get the vaccine, center officials said.
“We are promoting vaccines and working closely with patients to find access,” said Anthony Fortenberry, director of nursing for Callen-Lorde.
“But right now, there is a very small amount of vaccine, and
it is much less than the demand
.”
There they have treated 15 cases, three times as many days ago.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.
Epidemiologists said gaps in testing for the disease are also hampering the nation's ability to deal with this outbreak.
Without widespread testing and contact tracing, the scope is unclear.
"Right now,
we don't know if it's the tip of the iceberg
," said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Brown University School of Public Health.
To date, the tests have been handled by a network of public health laboratories and require a cumbersome process that many doctors are unfamiliar with, according to some critics.
As part of the expanded efforts federal officials announced, five large commercial labs will begin testing this month, dramatically increasing capacity.
But these systemic improvements offer little comfort to people who are at risk right now.
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is the newsroom of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), which produces in-depth health journalism. It is one of three major programs of KFF, a nonprofit organization that analyzes the nation's health and public health issues.