Category: Monkey Pox Vaccine

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Monkeypox vaccine to be offered through Fulton County nonprofit – FOX 5 Atlanta

August 13, 2022

ATLANTA - A Fulton County non-profit is helping to step up the distribution of monkeypox vaccines.

A Vision 4 Hope will begin offering 200 appointments per week beginning on Friday, August 12. Testing and vaccinations are available by appointment only.

The appointments are from noon until 6 p.m. at A Vision 4 Hope located at 1800 Phoenix Blvd, in College Park.

Those interested can call between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to get an appointment. The number is 678-705-3814.

Insurance is accepted for testing lab fees. Sliding scale is available for the uninsured.Vaccines are free but currently only available to high-risk populations - men who have sex with men, transwomen and sex workers.

AV4H, a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ community, also offers co-located job training, housing, counseling, mobile HIV prevention and testing, COVID testing and vaccines.

MONKEYPOX: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AS U.S. DECLARES PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevent said as of Thursday, Georgia is now the ranked fourth in total number of monkeypox and orthopoxvirus cases at just over 800. Nearly 11,000 cases have been reported nationwide.

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

A vile of Monkeypox virus vaccine at St. John's Well Child & Family Center on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The disease can be spread through close, personal, skin-to-skin contact including direct contact with rashes or sores, contact with objects or fabric that have been used by someone with monkeypox, or respiratory droplets or oral fluids.

There have been no U.S. deaths and officials say the risk to the American public is low. But they are taking steps to assure people that medical measures are in place to deal with the growing problem.

GEORGIA HEALTH OFFICIALS ADDRESS CONFUSION OVER MONKEYPOX TESTING

A two-dose vaccine, Jynneos, is approved for monkeypox in the U.S. The government has many more doses of an older smallpox vaccine ACAM2000 that they say could also be used, but that vaccine is considered to have a greater risk of side effects and is not recommended for people who have HIV. So its the Jynneos vaccine that officials have been trying to use as a primary weapon against the monkeypox outbreak.

Anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider, even if you do not believe you have had contact with anyone who has contracted the virus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Monkeypox vaccine to be offered through Fulton County nonprofit - FOX 5 Atlanta

Plans to distribute the monkeypox vaccine in the St. Louis area – KSDK.com

August 13, 2022

DHSS distributed 1,900 vials of the vaccine to the St. Louis County health department to use in the region and to distribute to other areas of the state.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Health officials in the St. Louis area have announced a plan to distribute the monkeypox vaccinefor those who are eligible.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has designated the St. Louis County Department of Public Health as the regions vaccine hub for the City of St. Louis and St. Louis, Jefferson and St. Charles counties.

DHSS distributed 1,900 vials of the monkeypox vaccine to the county health department for use within the region and for distribution to other areas of the state that experience an increased need for vaccines, according to a press release from the health department.

Several people may be vaccinated with each vial, according to recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Under the health departments current plan, a portion of the vials will be reserved for health departments and other health care providers to use to protect close contacts of people with monkeypox, according to the release.

The remaining vials will be available to health departments and clinics to vaccinate people who meet CDC criteria for being at high risk for the disease.

DHSS has set up a public survey to identify people who are at high risk for getting monkeypox and may qualify for the initial round of doses.

Monkeypox is a rare illness caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, which is related to the virus that causes smallpox, according to the health department.

Those with the disease usually have flu-like symptoms and fatigue, followed by a rash that looks like pimples, sores or blisters. The sores can be painful or itchy.

The monkeypox infection is rarely fatal.

Monkeypox is spread through close skin-to-skin contact or through shared clothing or bedding. Anyone can get the disease, but men who have sex with men have been most affected during the current outbreak, according to the health department. Those individuals will be prioritized in the departments current vaccine plan.

The vaccine protects against the disease, but it isnt used to treat people who have already contracted it. Vaccination consists of two doses per person and is administered four weeks apart, with maximum effectiveness at least two weeks after the second dose.

At this time, supply of the vaccine is limited across the country. Missouri health experts expect the demand for the vaccine to outweigh the supply. The county health department has requested additional doses of the vaccine and expects more from the state in the coming days, depending on availability.

For more information on monkeypox, visit the DHSS website.

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Plans to distribute the monkeypox vaccine in the St. Louis area - KSDK.com

Indiana will offer monkeypox vaccines to at-risk people. Here’s how to sign up – WFYI

August 13, 2022

The CDC recommends two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine, spaced four to five weeks apart.

Updated 1 p.m. Aug. 12

The Indiana Department of Health is hosting monkeypox vaccination clinics for anyone who is at risk of exposure, including people who have been exposed to monkeypox and people who may be more likely to get it.

Indiana health officials said there will be 400 doses of the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine available at each of the following locations:

Allen County

Marion County

Tippecanoe County

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination for people at risk of contracting monkeypox, including:

The CDC recommends two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine, spaced four to five weeks apart. It takes 14 days after the second dose for the vaccine to provide maximum immune protection, according to health officials.

IDOH recommends that people who get the vaccine continue to take precautions to protect themselves from infection. This includes using condoms or gloves and other safer sex practices and avoiding skin-to-skin contact with people who have monkeypox.

As of Aug. 10, the state of Indiana has received 6,752 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the HHS website. Nearly 12,000 doses have been allocated to the state, out of about a million currently available. Federal health officials said theyre determining how to divvy up vaccines based on need and HHS is exploring ways to stretch the limited supply.

Anyone can register on the Health Departments monkeypox website to be notified of future vaccine clinics in their area.

Health officials encourage anyone who is a close contact of a positive monkeypox case to work with their health care provider on treatment options.

UPDATE: This story was updated to include additional information provided by the Indiana Department of Health.

This story comes from a reporting collaboration that includes the Indianapolis Recorder and Side Effects Public Media, a public health news initiative based at WFYI. Contact Farah at fyousry@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @Farah_Yousrym.

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Indiana will offer monkeypox vaccines to at-risk people. Here's how to sign up - WFYI

Who should get the monkeypox vaccine? Here’s how to find out – Inverse

August 13, 2022

As of Thursday, confirmed cases of the monkeypox virus have surpassed 10,000 in the United States. Officials have been watching outbreaks since early May when a significant number of cases began appearing outside countries where its endemic. Allotments of smallpox vaccines, a virus closely related to monkeypox, are being allocated from the Strategic National Stockpile the countrys arsenal of medical supplies to the states experiencing the highest case numbers.

Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Co-Director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development tells Inverse, Weve learned from smallpox epidemics, that the way to do this is to do ring vaccination, in which you vaccinate as many contacts as possible.

Many of the current cases have been found in men who have sex with men, though not exclusively. Currently, the CDC is only recommending vaccination for the following groups:

If you meet one of these criteria, check with your local health department about availability. New York, California, and Florida are the three states that currently have the most monkeypox cases. New York links to all city and county health departments here. California offers guidance for local health departments about vaccine eligibility here. In Florida, people can find their local health department through this portal.

If you dont fall into any of these groups, you currently wont be able to get vaccinated and it's also likely that right now your risk of getting monkeypox is lower than those who do fall into one of these groups. However, things can shift quickly when it comes to infectious diseases. The CDC will continue to monitor both the number of cases of monkeypox and how these cases spread and may include more groups for vaccination.

Because it was developed for smallpox and thus clinical trials evaluated efficacy against that virus, we dont have a concrete, precise number for how effective the smallpox vaccines are at preventing monkeypox infection. A study conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then called Zaire), between 1981 and 1986 found that the smallpox vaccine was 86 percent effective against infection from monkeypox, though it was a small study with two major caveats for the current outbreak: The smallpox vaccine used in the 1980s was different than current smallpox vaccines. And, the monkeypox virus has mutated over those four decades.

CDC data show that between May 17 and July 22nd, among 954 persons with hospitalization data available, 77 (8 percent) patients were hospitalized because of their illness. As of now, no deaths have been reported in the United States.

Norman Beatty, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine, and infectious disease specialist tells Inverse that the JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine is FDA approved for the prevention of both smallpox and monkeypox viral infections in those who are 18 years of age and older, adding that it is currently under Emergency Use Authorization for those who are less than 18 years old who are deemed to be at high risk of contracting the virus.

However, supplies of the vaccine are limited and not everyone who meets the criteria will be able to obtain one. U.S. health officials authorized a plan on Tuesday to stretch the supply of the JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine further by giving a fifth of the normal dose. Fractional dosing, Hotez explains, is when a smaller amount of the vaccine is given subcutaneously just under the skin as opposed to intramuscularly. This is thought to elicit a faster immune response and would allow more people to be vaccinated with limited supplies.

White House officials said the fractional dosing would immediately multiply the 440,000 currently available as full doses into more than 2 million smaller doses. Even with fractional dosing, the complete course of the vaccine still requires two shots, spaced four weeks apart.

A second vaccine, ACAM2000, was approved in 2007 for people at high risk of smallpox. There is some evidence that it may be effective against monkeypox as well, though that has been less well studied. The limited supply of JYNNEOS vaccine is putting pressure on the Biden administration to help meet the demand.

The CDC notes that ACAM2000 is a single-dose vaccine, and it takes four weeks after vaccination for its immune protection to reach its maximum. However, it has the potential for more side effects and adverse events than JYNNEOS. It is not recommended for people with severely weakened immune systems and several other conditions.

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Who should get the monkeypox vaccine? Here's how to find out - Inverse

Philly sex workers finally have access to the monkeypox vaccine – The Philadelphia Inquirer

August 13, 2022

Sex workers in Philadelphia are now eligible to receive the monkeypox vaccine, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said Thursday, a relief for people at high risk of catching the virus.

Philadelphias limited supply of vaccine doses had been restricted to people with confirmed exposure to the virus, or men who have sex with men, are over 18 years old, and are considered high-risk for contracting the virus because they either have had multiple recent partners or were treated recently for a sexually transmitted infection. Transgender and nonbinary people are also eligible.

The decision to include anyone who does sex work came amid lobbying from activist groups and sex workers themselves.

It was so urgent for me, said a 42-year-old Philadelphia sex worker who calls herself Madeline Layne. I woke up in the middle of the night having a panic attack because I was so stressed about this. I cant really work until I get the vaccine.

Even with restrictions on who is eligible for the vaccine, the city has not been able to meet demand, and has been prioritizing doses for people who have a confirmed exposure to the virus.

Still, health officials decided it was important to add sex workers to the eligibility list because they are at high risk of contracting the virus, said health department spokesperson James Kyle.

If one of them catches monkeypox, its going to go all through the community, said Jazmyn Henderson, whose organization, ACT UP Philadelphia, an HIV and AIDS activist group, has sought to expand vaccine access. We need to be thinking about high risk populations differently.

READ MORE: Monkeypox vaccine limits cause frustration and fear in Philly

Others at risk, such as people experiencing homelessness who may share clothes, toiletries, and drug paraphernalia, and health care workers who treat people with monkeypox, are not yet eligible.

At this point, we havent seen cases among healthcare workers or unhoused individuals who dont also have other risk factors, Kyle said. However, these are important groups to watch, and we hope to be able to vaccinate these groups as soon as we have enough vaccine.

In the meantime, staff at Philadelphia FIGHT, an LGBTQ-focused health center, are wearing surgical gowns and gloves as extra protection, in addition to the masks and face shields they were already wearing because of COVID, said Jay Kostman, a doctor there.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permitted health care providers to use smaller doses of the vaccine JYNNEOS to stretch the supply of doses as much as fivefold, federal health officials said. Philadelphias health department, though, has questions about the efficacy of the approach, and whether people can choose the amount of vaccine they receive, and has not yet started providing the smaller doses.

Monkeypox continues to spread widely in the United States, with the country cracking more than 10,000 cases as of Wednesday according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Philadelphia reported 128 cases Monday, the most recent data available.

READ MORE: Phillys monkeypox vaccine shortages arent solved yet as feds make move to increase access to the shots

Monkeypox spreads primarily through extended physical contact with the rashes and lesions it causes, and while it is not exclusively a sexually transmitted disease, the close contact of sex has proven to be an ideal means of transmission. The virus isnt fatal but can be extremely painful, with symptoms and the potential to infect others lasting for up to a month.

Monkeypox is really scary, especially to people for whom our appearance is such an important factor in our ability to make money, Layne said. If my face is covered in scars, Im done. Its really terrifying, honestly.

She asked that her legal name not be used to avoid stigma.

Layne has worked as an escort for about two years, she said, and developed a rigorous routine of testing and masking that allowed her to keep seeing clients through the COVID-19 pandemic. She wants to take the same approach to monkeypox, but there is no rapid test she can use, and a mask or condom cant reliably prevent contact with the rashes and lesions monkeypox causes, which may not be clearly apparent. Layne knows she has had male clients who are sexually active with men.

READ MORE: Exposed to monkeypox? Heres how to get a vaccination appointment in Philly.

This week and last week, Ive been more cautious because of monkeypox, said Layne, who has largely paused seeing clients. I can just kind of wait until I get the vaccine.

Layne had tweeted at the city health department, urging officials to make sex workers eligible for vaccination.

READ MORE: Are you at risk of getting monkeypox? Heres everything you need to know.

Philadelphia Red Umbrella Alliance, an advocacy group for city sex workers, has educated women working on the street about what monkeypox looks like and how it spreads, said Raani Begum, an organizer for the group. She is glad for greater access to the vaccine, but is concerned that women may not get it if they have to identify themselves as sex workers.

They have to expose themselves, and I think that can really keep them from accessing monkeypox vaccine, Begum said.

Sex workers have a complicated relationship with health care providers, Begum said, the result of stigma and discrimination they face. Women could fear how information provided to health care workers might be used or shared. Its something Layne has encountered too.

Theres always a stereotype of us being disease vectors, but our livelihoods depend on us being in good health, she said.

Though expanding eligibility to sex workers is a step in the right direction, health experts and activists say the city must do more. Kathleen Brady, a doctor and acting director of the health departments AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, said the agency relies on grant funds earmarked for specific programs, and cannot quickly redirect many employees to an unfunded crisis like monkeypox.

Last weeks federal public health emergency declaration is expected to send much-needed money to health departments for monkeypox response.

The response was definitely slow at the national level, Brady said. I think it should have been declared a public health emergency earlier without a doubt.

Health department staff will soon be reaching out to around 100 organizations, bars, venues, churches, and clubs that cater to LGBTQ people with information about the virus. Among them, she said, are two bath houses that cater to gay men, though they havent been receptive to other outreach efforts, Brady said. Neither returned a reporters calls.

Extended physical contact or even touching objects that touched the lesions on an infected person can spread the virus. The bath houses offer ample opportunity for transmission, Kostman said.

Yet, he said, its not necessarily sexual practices that put people in harms way.

Lets realize the potential risk is out there depending on behavior, he said, not just what group youre in.

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Philly sex workers finally have access to the monkeypox vaccine - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Monkeypox Vaccine Is in High Demand in Connecticut – Government Technology

August 13, 2022

(TNS) - There's a waiting list of 250 people hoping to soon receive a monkeypox vaccine at Connecticut's Anchor Health.

The small network of LGBTQ clinics in Hamden and Stamford have seen demand outweigh the supply since the launch of vaccine availability in Connecticut on Aug. 1.

"I think people are very anxious to get the vaccine," said Dr. Joseph Canarie of Anchor Health. "A lot of people express a lot of relief about finally being able to get it, especially since many had been on the waitlist or trying to get it in Massachusetts or New York beforehand."

State officials have confirmed 54 cases of monkeypox since the first case was discovered July 5, which is lower than Massachusetts with 174 and far fewer than New York, which has 2,132. The number of patients seeking vaccines, despite the relatively low number of cases in Connecticut, has grown as the outbreak continues throughout the country.

Anchor was given 150 doses and had administered 110 of its doses by Wednesday with 40 appointments pending.

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Monkeypox Vaccine Is in High Demand in Connecticut - Government Technology

Florida rations limited supply of monkeypox vaccines as infections go up – POLITICO

August 11, 2022

DOH spokesman Jeremy Redfern said although the virus is considered low risk for the general public, agency officials expect more people to get sick.

That being said, due to the lack of monkeypox vaccines from the federal government, we are expecting infections to increase, Redfern said in an email. Monkeypox is proving to be extremely painful for those infected, but the fatality rate remains at zero in the US.

The nationwide increase in monkeypox infections prompted President Joe Biden to declare a public health emergency last week. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show New York is leading the nation with 1,960 infections as of Sunday, followed by California with 1,310 cases. The governors of those states each signed an emergency declaration as cases went up, but the Florida Department of Health has no plans to ask DeSantis to declare an emergency.

We work with providers, hospitals, and clinics to ensure they are able to properly diagnose a case of monkeypox and report the case to their county health department for further testing, Redfern wrote.

An emergency declaration allows the states government to coordinate with agencies, impose special restrictions and sign contracts outside of state procurement laws.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Ladapo have downplayed the impact of the monkeypox virus, with DeSantis saying last week when Florida was fifth in the nation for infections that politicians and the news media are using the virus to scare people.

Two Democrats vying to unseat the incumbent Republican also demanded that DeSantis take more action. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said after a Tuesday campaign-related news conference in the parking lot of the governors mansion that her office has called on HHS to provide the state with more vaccines. She also urged the DeSantis administration to take the impact of the virus more seriously.

Fried said she recognizes that emergency declaration powers may not be necessary for monkeypox when compared to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but outreach efforts are key at preventing the virus from spreading, usually through direct human contact.

Its more so that we can say that this is serious, that weve got an issue here, and that we are starting to work with our local governments to provide the resources of vaccines and testing, Fried said. The whole thing about monkeypox is knowledge is power.

Fried will face Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) in the Aug. 23 primary, and the winner of that race will face off against DeSantis in November. Crist said during a Tuesday interview that DeSantis should be looking for ways to receive more vaccines from HHS rather than just downplaying the issue. With awareness playing such a crucial role in preventing spread, DeSantis should be pulling more levers that he has at his disposal in the event of a problem.

We know that testing is difficult, and the cases are probably more than we will ever know, Crist said during a phone interview. The thing to do here is be engaged, and the governors just not engaged here.

Fried and Crist have also called on the Biden administration to acquire more vaccine doses. The U.S. endured a shortage of the Jynneos vaccine used to treat monkeypox after the first infections were reported in May.

By declaring a national emergency, Biden has started a process the federal government has to follow before it changes a vaccine-use authorization. In Florida, Redfern said the state can direct counties to conserve shots without a declaration, and that the states actions were to accommodate for delays in vaccine distribution by the federal government.

A state of emergency cant do much to speed up something that is physically unavailable, Redfern said.

One LGBTQ coalition is already planning its own outreach efforts to alert high-risk Floridians. National Black Justice Coalition Deputy Director Victoria Kirby York said Florida officials have failed to account for the states status as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, with millions of visitors hitting the beach every summer. She said previous governors, from Crist to Jeb Bush, showed compassion for human beings.

Governor DeSantis has done nothing but show that every decision hes making is about a presidential run, Kirby York said. It has little or nothing to do with the well-being of the people of Florida.

The National Black Justice Coalition was one the groups picked by drugmaker Gilead Sciences on Tuesday to receive part of a $5 million grant meant to help promote awareness about monkeypox. Kirby Yorks organization refers to the monkeypox virus as MPV due to its racial undertone.

If we want to stop this, we need to change the trajectory, and start getting into those communities and letting people know, she said. Youd think wed know by now that viruses always start in a community.

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Florida rations limited supply of monkeypox vaccines as infections go up - POLITICO

3 monkeypox vaccine events to be held in New Orleans, Baton Rouge this week – NOLA.com

August 11, 2022

Three monkeypox vaccine events will be held in New Orleans and Baton Rouge this week, health officials said Tuesday.

Monkeypox has been identified in several individuals so far in the New Orleans area, and Louisiana officials said there are likely more undiagnosed cases.

The virus isspreading mostly through close, intimate contact, and many reported caseshave been diagnosed in men who have sex with men,according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are not enough shots to currently meet the demand in Louisiana, and the events this week will be offering a limited number of vaccines on a first-come basis to eligible people, according Mindy Faciane, spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health.

Several clinics around the state are also offering vaccines to eligible people by appointment only. Here's the full list.

Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.: The Phoenix Bar, a 24-hour gay bar in the Marigny, is hosting a shot-for-shot event in partnership with the health department.

The business says 300 vaccines will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis to people who meet the eligibility criteria.

HIV testing, COVID vaccines and PrEP counseling also will be available at the event, Phoenix says.

After receiving a monkeypox shot, the customer will get a free shot of alcohol, Phoenix says. The bar also plans to offer free bottled water, snacks, music and drink specials. Read more about the event.

Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.: The Page, a gay bar at the edge of the French Quarter, is hosting a free vaccine event on Thursday to people to meet the eligibility requirements. Health officials didn't immediately know how many shots would be available.

The bar is 542 North Rampart Street.

Thursday from 4-7 p.m.: Out of the Box LGBTQ Center is hosting a free vaccine event for eligible people on Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear how many vaccines would be available.

The center is at 9148 Scotland Avenue. Read more.

Here are the eligibility criteria for the vaccine, as outlined by the Louisiana Health Department.

U.S. officials on Thursday declared a public health emergency over the outbreak, which has infected more than 6,600 Americans.

Monkeypox has been detected in Louisiana.

Monkeypox is a potentially serious virus that typically causes flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash with bumps that are initially filled with fluid before scabbing over, according to the Louisiana Health Department. Most infections last two to four weeks.

Here's what the state Health Department says you need to know about monkeypox.

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Sometimes people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms; others only experience a rash. Some people infected in the U.S. have experienced only isolated rashes in the genital region or other body parts.

Monkeypox spreads in different ways, officials said. The virus is most often spread through direct contact with a rash or sores of someone who has the virus.

People stand in long lines to receive the monkeypox vaccine at San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco, on July 12, 2022.

It can also spread through contact with clothing, bedding and other items used by a person with monkeypox, or from respiratory droplets that can be passed through prolonged face-to-face contact, including kissing, cuddling or sex.

People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.

According to the CDC, early data suggest that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases. However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.

Take basic steps to prevent the spread of monkeypox. Anyone with exposure or infection concerns should refrain from intimate or close personal contact and seek medical attention. If you do not have a health care provider, visit a parish health unit near you. Laboratory testing for monkeypox is now widely available, officials said.

Treatments and vaccinations are available for monkeypox, but physicians say bureaucratic red tape is hindering their ability to respond to and contain the outbreak.

The monkeypox treatment, TPOXX, is available only to patients and doctors under a special CDC status, because it is usually used to treat smallpox, not monkeypox.

The expanded access status requires physicians to go through more than 100 pages of paperwork each time they prescribe it. Between the forms and administrative requirements, a patient visit to initiate this medication can take one to three hours.

As a result, many people who need the drug are not receiving the necessary treatment, and the bureaucratic hurdles are hitting uninsured and minority communities particularly hard, said Mary Foote, the medical director for emergency preparedness and response in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos is one of two vaccines that may be given in the U.S. to prevent monkeypox. The government has many more doses of the other vaccine, an older smallpox vaccine called ACAM2000 that is considered to have a greater risk of side effects and is not recommended for people who have HIV. So its the Jynneos vaccine that officials have been using as a primary weapon against the outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for people who have already been exposed to the virus and their presumed contacts. That includes men who have recently had sex with men at parties or in other gatherings in cities where monkeypox cases have been identified.

The CDC estimates that about 1.5 million American men are eligible for the vaccine based on their HIV status and other risk factors.

The Associated Press and CQ-Roll Call via the Tribune Content Agency contributed to this story.

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3 monkeypox vaccine events to be held in New Orleans, Baton Rouge this week - NOLA.com

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