Category: Monkey Pox Vaccine

CNN

The organizers of Atlanta Black Pride, an LGBTQ celebration held each Labor Day weekend, have big plans. There will be parties and performances, workshops and financial literacy classes, brunches and a boat ride. This year also brings an event that no one ever expected would be necessary: a vaccination clinic.

We actually got a head start, and we started early, even before the festival, with monkeypox vaccinations for people that are here in Atlanta, said Melissa Scott, one of the organizers.

The festival will also offer Covid-19 vaccines on location.

The monkeypox vaccines wont protect people right away, because two doses are needed, but Scott said the festival is the perfect opportunity to reach a large group of people who have been disproportionately affected by the outbreak.

As of Friday, there are nearly 20,000 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus is spread through close contact and can infect anyone. But cases in this outbreak have mostly been among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and no ones been hit harder than those who identify as Black or Latino/Hispanic.

Nearly 38% of monkeypox cases are among Black people, yet they represent only 12% of the US population. Hispanic or Latino people make up 19% of the US population but account for 29% of the cases as of August 27, according to the CDC.

Not all US cities keep or publish demographic data. But among those with the most monkeypox cases, people of color are often overrepresented among the sick and underrepresented among the vaccinated.

In Philadelphia, for example, 55% of monkeypox cases are in Black people, 16% are in people who identify as Hispanic, and 24% are in those who identify as white. Yet 56% of the shots have gone to white individuals, 24% to Black people and 12% to Hispanic people, according to the citys website.

In Atlanta, as of mid-August, 71% of monkeypox patients identified as Black, 12% as white and 7% as Hispanic, while 44% of the vaccines have gone to white people, 46% to Black people and 8% to Hispanics.

And in Houston, Black people are overrepresented among the sick, making up 32% of all the cases, but they are only 23% of the population. Only 15% of people who have gotten the vaccine identify as Black, according to the Houston Health Department.

However, while Hispanic people account for 21% of the cases in Houston, they make up 45% of the citys population and 32% of those who have been vaccinated. White people are 24% of the population, 17% of the cases and 39% of those who have been vaccinated against monkeypox.

In Los Angeles County, the health department says 40% of cases are among Hispanic people, yet only 32% of first vaccine doses have gone to members of that community. Hispanics make up 49% of the countys population.

White people are the most vaccinated against monkeypox in Los Angeles. Theyve gotten 41% of the first doses, and they account for 29% of the cases. White people make up a quarter of the population of the county.

Black people are overrepresented among the cases. They make up 9% of the population in the county but 11% of the cases. Only 9% of those who got their first vaccine dose identify as Black.

It is not totally clear whats driving the differences, but this isnt the first disease to see such inequities, said Dr. Chyke Doubeni, chief health equity officer at Ohio State University. Unless something drastically changes, he said, well see the same pattern in the next outbreak.

I would say as a public health community, were very good at repeating the same mistakes multiple times, he said. Its the same story, the same underlying causes. There are barriers to care and information. Systems that require people to stand in line for hours for a vaccine do not work for people with hourly jobs, for instance.

For months, community leaders have repeatedly called on the Biden administration to step up its efforts to protect this population. On Tuesday, the administration announced that it was launching a pilot program aimed at LGBTQ communities of color.

Its important to acknowledge that theres more work we must do together with our partners on the ground to get shots in arms in the highest-risk communities, said Robert Fenton, the White House national monkeypox response team coordinator.

Equity is a key pillar in our response, and we recognize the need to put extra resources into the field to make sure we are reaching communities most impacted by the outbreak.

The administration will send thousands of vaccine doses to organizations that work with Black and brown communities. The initiative will also work with state and local governments to set up vaccination clinics at key LGBTQ events that attract hundreds of thousands of people, such as Atlanta Black Pride, Oakland Pride in California and Southern Decadence in New Orleans. They will send enough vials to vaccinate up to 5,000 people at each event.

Federal health officials say they also will work with local leaders to identify smaller gatherings for pop-up vaccine clinics, like house and ballroom events that are popular with younger people. Theyve set aside an additional 10,000 vials for those equity initiatives.

Pride Month events in June went by without pop-up clinics. One pilot vaccination program that the administration launched with local public health organizers at the Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade last weekend ended up administering only about a quarter of the doses allocated, but officials still called it a great success.

Its important to also respect sort of the strategy that Charlotte may have had in terms of how to get the word out, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the White Houses assistant monkeypox response coordinator, said Tuesday. And so, 500-plus vaccines is a great success its not a clinic, and so really, going to Pride and getting vaccinated any number, especially that, I think is remarkable.

The outreach seems to be working in Fulton County, Georgia, which includes Atlanta and several large suburbs.

Black people make up 79% of monkeypox cases there but are only 42.5% of the population, according to the last census. Since the start of the outbreak, the county Board of Health said, it has initiated its own efforts to engage directly with organizations that work with Black and brown communities. Officials have set up clinics, posted QR codes in bars that link to appointment information, and extended hours at clinics so people dont have to take time off from work to get vaccinated.

As a result, nearly 70% of the monkeypox vaccines that the county has given have gone to people of color, the board said. In comparison, only 10% of doses nationwide have gone to people who are Black, 22% went to Hispanic or Latino people, and 44% went to people who identify as white, according to the Biden administration.

Communities of color have been hit particularly hard by monkeypox, said Dr. Lynn Paxton, Fulton Countys district health director. So efforts targeting health equity have been especially crucial for the Board of Health.

The Biden administration said equity is a key priority with its monkeypox strategy.

Our vaccine strategy is to meet people where they seek services, care or community, especially in communities of color, Daskalakis said.

The extra efforts have been prompted by several obstacles to access to treatments, vaccines and culturally sensitive education material, public health experts say.

Sean Cahill, director of health policy research at the Fenway Institute in Boston, a health organization that works with sexual and gender minorities, says he has been frustrated by these unnecessary barriers.

For example, the monkeypox treatment Tpoxx is still considered experimental, so patients and doctors have to fill out paperwork required by the CDC to get it. For months, not one of the forms was translated into a language other than English. The CDC made the Spanish-language form available on its website in the second week of August.

For patients who speak Spanish or Chinese or dont speak a lot of English, it can be a real challenge for them to complete these forms, Cahill said. Its even harder for people who dont have access to a computer or printer.

Theres just some logistical issues that have been a constant challenge to help patients, and there neednt be, he added.

Throughout the outbreak, organizers have been critical of the Biden administrations response to the public health crisis, especially where people of color are concerned.

As soon as we started receiving a vaccine, we should have had a conversation with Black and brown community-based organizations to lead the way to vaccinate the most at risk, said Daniel Driffin, an HIV patient advocate and a consultant with NMAC, a national organization that works for health equity and racial justice to end the HIV epidemic.

To get a vaccine appointment, particularly in the beginning of the US outbreak when vaccines were in much shorter supply, people essentially had to follow their local health department on Twitter to find out when they were available, Driffin said. The appointments would often fill up in minutes.

Your health status should not be dictated by Twitter or Instagram, Driffin said.

He added that its especially difficult for some people to get appointments to get tests or treatments.

Especially here in Georgia, where many individuals, especially men, Black and brown people, may not have access to regular medical care. So where are they supposed to go?

This is not, of course, the first health outbreak to disproportionately affect Black and brown communities.

Black people account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses and cases compared with other races and ethnicities. Hispanic and Latino people are also disproportionately affected by HIV.

The CDC says racism, stigma, homophobia, poverty and limited access to health care continue to drive these disparities.

These same communities are overrepresented in the Covid-19 pandemic. People of color have a disproportionate number of cases and deaths compared with White people when accounting for age differences, according to the CDC.

The CDC has regularly said that more needs to be done to help these communities, and public health officials inclination to want to help is good, Doubeni said.

But typically, they dont say Oh, we have a problem. Let me see how I can work with the community to see what is beneficial for them, and they especially dont do this from the beginning, Doubeni said.

On more than one occasion, Doubeni said, he has watched government public health officials spend months to create education materials in English. Only after those materials come out will they start working on a Spanish version.

I think its all well-intentioned, but unfortunately, it doesnt always begin with an end in mind, he said.

He tells people that because of institutional racism, and for social and economic reasons, those who are in communities of color may have to be persistent to get the treatment they need.

Dont take no for an answer, Doubeni said. People should not be ashamed to have to seek treatment for monkeypox. It has nothing to do with them as a person per se. We can control this outbreak and keep it from running out of control. And its your right to get the answers you need.

Atlanta Black Pride organizer Scott said shes been pleased with the local public health departments targeted outreach. One of the events goals has always been to strengthen the communitys health while encouraging everyone to have fun.

Were trying to make sure we reach the people who need it most, she said.

Excerpt from:

Black and Hispanic people are more likely to get monkeypox but less likely to be vaccinated - CNN

The federal government will send 6,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine to New Orleans for distribution during this weekends Decadence Festival in an effort to boost immunizations in the LGBTQ population.

The allocation represents the largest influx of vaccines in the state since the outbreak began. It also comes as federal, state and local public health officials explore new ways to curb the spread of the virus that, up to this point, has been most common among men who have sex with men.

White House officials have targeted Southern Decadence in New Orleans, Black Pride in Atlanta and Pridefest in Oakland for a trial run at massive immunization and education campaigns that may be used in other LGBTQ events.

"There's no doubt we will learn lessons over the weekend that we can then share with other folks around the country and help them to do an even better job of preparing for similar events," Gov. John Bel Edwards said on a press call with White House officials.

The return of the annual festival, which hasnt been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida, could have as many as 300,000 attendees.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, deputy coordinator of the White House National Monkeypox Response, said the effort came at the request of community leaders who challenged the federal government to meet people at higher risk of contracting the virus where they are.

It was a great opportunity to get folks ready for the event in terms of getting vaccines on the ground early, but also a great opportunity to reach people who wont go to a clinic for a vaccine effort, but will feel comfortable in, frankly, a less stigmatizing space, Daskalakis said.

Daskalakis emphasized that people who receive vaccinations this weekend should still take other precautions to avoid contracting or spreading monkeypox. The vaccine, which is administered in two doses 28 days apart, only reaches full efficacy two weeks after the second dose.

That first shot doesnt mean youre protected for the event, Daskalakis said. That shots not for today. Its for four weeks from now, plus two weeks, when you get maximum protection.

Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease, but does spread through close skin-to-skin contact with the rash monkeypox causes, and through bodily fluids, respiratory secretions and touching clothing or linens used by someone with monkeypox.

Along with vaccines, the federal government is sending a mobile testing unit, and the state will conduct wastewater monitoring in the French Quarter and nearby neighborhoods to determine the virus prevalence in the community.

Federal health officials recently altered their guidance to allow the vaccine to be administered under the skin, enabling health workers to stretch limited vaccine supplies. The intradermal method allows for four times as many doses as the intramuscular method previously used.

The change allowed for a much wider distribution of a vaccine that has been hard to access in Louisiana and across the country.

Earlier this month, the state requested additional vaccine doses from the federal government in anticipation of the Decadence festival. The city of New Orleans has held several vaccine events ahead of the event. To date, the state has received 8,862 vials of the monkeypox vaccine, not including the allocation announced Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, the Louisiana Department of Health has recorded 181 cases of monkeypox in the state, with the vast majority occurring in the greater New Orleans region.

The outbreak has disproportionately affected Black Louisianans, who account for 60% of the cases reported in the state compared to the 27% among white individuals. Nearly 90% of cases have been among men.

White House officials hope the vaccination and education efforts at Southern Decadence can be a model that can be scaled-down and brought to smaller LGBTQ events across the country.

I think that our next chapter here is about making sure that we build in systems that really improve equity and make sure vaccines are not only getting in arms, but in the arms of people who really need it, Daskalakis said.

Read more:

Ahead of Southern Decadence, 6K doses of monkeypox vaccine coming to New Orleans - WWNO

The current supply of monkeypox vaccine in the U.S. is limited, but the federal government has released a national vaccine strategyto be undertaken by the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.

In advance of vaccines becoming more widely available, there are actions people can take to mitigate their risk of exposure and infectionactions that are also useful even between the first and second shot for those who have qualified for vaccination.

While monkeypox has not been classified as a sexually transmitted disease, it has been shown to be highly contagious in the context of close, intimate human contact. Therefore, exchanging contact information with any new partner to allow for sexual health follow-up, speaking openly with your partner about any monkeypox symptoms, and avoiding sharing things such as towels, sex toys, and toothbrushes are means by which people can proactively try to protect themselves from exposure. Close social situations, such as parties, raves, or nightclubs where patrons wear minimal clothing and where there is often direct bodily contact, also increase a person's risk.

Stacker compiled a list of frequently asked questions about the monkeypox vaccine from governments, scientific sources, and health experts. Stacker spoke with Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, professor of epidemiology and medicine and chair of global health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and Dr. Sandra A. Fryhofer,board-certified in internal medicine and chair of the American Medical Association's Board of Trustees, to gain their expert perspectives on the current state of vaccine dissemination and to discover what the near future holds for increased vaccine availability.

As of Aug. 30, 2022, there were 18,417 total confirmed monkeypox cases in the United States, according to the CDC.

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Monkeypox vaccine in the US: What public health experts know so farand what they don't - News-Daily.com

For Immediate Release: August 09, 2022

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Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the JYNNEOS vaccine to allow healthcare providers to use the vaccine by intradermal injection for individuals 18 years of age and older who are determined to be at high risk for monkeypox infection. This will increase the total number of doses available for use by up to five-fold. The EUA also allows for use of the vaccine in individuals younger than 18 years of age determined to be at high risk of monkeypox infection; in these individuals JYNNEOS is administered by subcutaneous injection.

In recent weeks the monkeypox virus has continued to spread at a rate that has made it clear our current vaccine supply will not meet the current demand, said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. The FDA quickly explored other scientifically appropriate options to facilitate access to the vaccine for all impacted individuals. By increasing the number of available doses, more individuals who want to be vaccinated against monkeypox will now have the opportunity to do so.

JYNNEOS, the Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine, was approved in 2019 for prevention of smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection. JYNNEOS is administered beneath the skin (subcutaneously) as two doses, four weeks (28 days) apart. For individuals 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk of monkeypox infection, the EUA now allows for a fraction of the JYNNEOS dose to be administered between the layers of the skin (intradermally). Two doses of the vaccine given four weeks (28 days) apart will still be needed. There are no data available to indicate that one dose of JYNNEOS will provide long-lasting protection, which will be needed to control the current monkeypox outbreak.

Data from a 2015 clinical study of the MVA vaccine evaluated a two-dose series given intradermally compared to subcutaneously. Individuals who received the vaccine intradermally received a lower volume (one fifth) than individuals who received the vaccine subcutaneously. The results of this study demonstrated that intradermal administration produced a similar immune response to subcutaneous administration, meaning individuals in both groups responded to vaccination in a similar way. Administration by the intradermal route resulted in more redness, firmness, itchiness and swelling at the injection site, but less pain, and these side effects were manageable. The FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of JYNNEOS outweigh the known and potential risks for the authorized uses.

To support the FDAs authorization of two doses of JYNNEOS administered by the subcutaneous route of administration in individuals younger than 18 years of age, the FDA considered the available JYNNEOS safety and immune response data in adults as well as the historical data with use of live vaccinia virus smallpox vaccine in pediatric populations.

JYNNEOS has been tested in individuals with immunocompromising conditions and has been found to be safe and effective in the trials that were performed to support approval. It was initially developed specifically as an alternative for use in immunocompromised individuals in the event of a smallpox outbreak.

On the basis of the determination by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 9, 2022, that there is a public health emergency, or the significant potential for a public health emergency, that has a significant potential to affect national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad, and the declaration on Aug. 9, 2022, that circumstances exist justifying the emergency use of vaccines, the FDA may issue an EUA to allow emergency use of unapproved vaccines or unapproved uses of approved vaccines.

The FDA will provide updates as developments occur and will continue to work with federal public health partners and industry to ensure timely access to all available medical countermeasures. More information can be found on the agencys monkeypox webpage.

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The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

08/09/2022

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Monkeypox Update: FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of JYNNEOS Vaccine to ...

As of Aug. 1, the CDC has confirmed 5,811 cases of monkeypox in the US. Several states have now declared the spread a public health emergency, including California, New York, and Illinois, which have 827, 1390, and 520 cases, respectively.

Many people are left wondering how to protect themselves from monkeypox and if another vaccine is in order. The good news is, unlike with COVID-19, a vaccine for monkeypox already existed prior to the global outbreak. Additionally, because scientists and health officials have known about monkeypox in humans since the first case in 1970, doctors have a better handle on how it spreads and how to prevent contracting it.

While the monkeypox vaccine supply is limited, an additional 786,000 were recently made available for use in the US with more supply expected in the coming weeks and months. Today, President Biden named FEMA's Robert Fenton as the White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator and Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, (a leading CDC official in HIV Prevention) as the White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator. The new appointments will lead the Administrations's monkeypox strategy and, according to the announcement from the Biden Administration, "equitably [increase] the availability of tests, vaccinations and treatments."

If you're hoping to get a monkeypox vaccine or simply what to know what your options are, the following info will help you understand everything you need to know about getting vaccinated against monkeypox.

There are two FDA-approved vaccines currently available for monkeypox: JYNNEOS (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex) and ACAM2000. Both vaccines were recommended for use in the US prior to the monkeypox outbreak: JYNNEOS was licensed in the US in 2019 and ACAM2000 was recommended for use by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in 2015.

JYNNEOS is manufactured specifically for monkeypox, while ACAM2000 is for use against smallpox and was made available for monkeypox under the Expanded Access Investigational New Drug application, as the monkeypox virus is closely related to smallpox. Even though it's not the exact same virus, the smallpox vaccine can indeed protect people from getting monkeypox; past data suggests that the smallpox vaccine is at least 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox, according to the CDC. (Note: If you've been previously vaccinated for smallpox, it does provide some protection, but it may not necessarily be lifelong, according to the CDC.)

There's a larger supply of ACAM2000 available in the US compared to JYNNEOS, but the CDC does not recommend the ACAM2000 vaccine for those who have a weakened immune system, eczema or other exfoliative skin conditions, heart disease, or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Additionally, if you're living with anyone who falls under those categories (and cannot isolate from them), the CDC notes that you should not receive the ACAM2000 vaccine. That's because the vaccine contains a live virus called vaccinia, which can spread to other people from the vaccine site, according to the New York State Department of Health.

For JYNNEOS, two shots are necessary and the FDA recommends a 28-day wait period between doses. After the second shot, you'll reach maximum immunity at 14 days. For ACAM2000, there is only a single shot and maximum immunity is reached after 4 weeks.

At this time, the World Health Organization is not recommending vaccination for the general population. The CDC only recommends getting vaxxed if you've had a known exposure to monkeypox or if you're more likely to get monkeypox due to certain risk factors.

The at-risk group includes some healthcare or laboratory workers whose job may expose them to orthopoxviruses (the set of viruses that include smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox); people identified by public health officials as having been in contact with monkeypox; people who've had a sexual partner diagnosed with monkeypox in the last two weeks; and people who've had multiple sexual partners in the last two weeks in an area with known monkeypox outbreak.

Exact eligibility also depends on where you live and your state's policies on vaccination access. For example, in San Francisco, men and trans people who have sex with men and had more than one sexual partner in the last two weeks, sex workers of any sexual orientation or gender, and people who were at a social event within the past two weeks where monkeypox was suspected or confirmed are all eligible for vaccination. In New York, you're eligible for the vaccine if you meet all of the following criteria: if you are a man or trans person who has sex with men, are age 18 or older, and have had multiple sex partners in the last two weeks. The best way to know if you're eligible for a monkeypox vaccine is to look at the specific requirements listed on your state's official website.

Wondering what your sex life has to do with your risk of monkeypox? While monkeypox is not an STI and anyone not just LGBTQ people can get monkeypox, the majority of cases so far have been amongst men who sleep with men. Monkeypox is spread through skin-to-skin contact, exposure to clothing, towels, and bedding infected with the virus, and through respiratory droplets or oral fluids (i.e. sneezing, coughing, or kissing). So while physical intimacy (read: skin-to-skin contact) is a definite way to spread the virus, it's not the only way.

If you fall into one of the above categories or meet the criteria necessary for vaccination in your city or state, your best bet for finding a monkeypox vaccine is to talk to your doctor, visit a clinic, or search for monkeypox vaccine providers in your area.

Read this article:

Monkeypox Vaccine: Eligibility and Where to Get It - POPSUGAR

Two weeks ago, I received one of the Districts more than 20,000 doses of Jyennos monkeypox vaccine.D.C. has received the ninth highest number of vaccines in the United States with 24,175 doses shipped to the city as of Aug. 29. Because I am not a man who has sex with other men, I did not think that I would qualify for the vaccine. But after further research, I found out that those who qualify for the monkeypox vaccine in D.C. include people of any gender and sexual orientation who have had more than one sexual partner in the past two weeks, sex workers or staff members at establishments where sexual activity occurs. I was excited to play my part in preventing the monkeypox disease, but getting my first dose of the vaccine was an uncomfortable experience, both emotionally and physically.

Before my appointment, I assumed only gay men had access to the vaccine because of homophobic language surrounding the spread of monkeypox.To prevent other people from believing in the same misinformation, it is vital to avoid stigmas and stereotypes that fuel lies instead of slowing the disease, like blaming monkeypox on gay men. Other people like myself may qualify for the monkeypox vaccine but do not know it. While I am very thankful to qualify and receive the vaccine, I was misgendered several times at the appointment and continue to wait outlonger-than-expected sideeffects, which made my whole experience unenjoyable altogether.

The firstdisappointmentcame whenI got immediately misgendered while walking into the monkeypox vaccination site. My heart dropped into my stomach. Can we see verification of your appointment ladies, the police officer said in front of the D.C. Department of Health building. After showing them my QR code, the officer showed me to a waiting room full of chairs where the volunteers and doctors began to add maam to every phrase directed at me. Because monkeypox is mostly reported among men who have sex with other men in the United States, I thought I would be surrounded by a queer community that understood my non-binary identity. Healthcare establishments are typically stressful to me because of the heteronormativity that seeps through them. It is impossible to go to the doctor without discussing my queer identity because of questions about sexual activity and discussions about my body. I found myself in a similar situation at themonkeypox vaccination site, which felt unsafe, unwelcome and overwhelming.

Even after disclosing my gender identity and use of gender-neutral pronounson the forms that all patients fill out, the staff working at the vaccination site continued to misgender me. Being misgendered is exhausting because it is a constant self reminder that society categorizes me as a woman before anything else. Even when filling out the forms, I had to specify which gender I was assigned at birth, and while that information is necessary, it still stings to repeatedly be considered female. Getting my monkeypox vaccine showed me how even in predominantly queer spaces, LGBTQ+ people are still misunderstood and discriminated against. But nothing will change the fact that I got misgendered. Instead, my desire to practice safe sex and protect others from the spread of monkeypox outweighed the discomfort.

When the time came to receive the dose,confusion and panic set in the injection wasthe mostpainful vaccine that I have ever received. The Jynneos vaccine was injected through intradermal administration, a superficialinjection that doesnt reach the fat of the forearm as most vaccines do, creating a red, irritable lump right under the surface of the skin. The insertion itself was more painful than I anticipated.I was not prepared for the sheer discomfort that would come with the shot, making the physical side effects extra stressful.

Now two weeks out from vaccination, irritation from the shot has lingered. My forearm is still itchy, and the punctured patch of skin still hurts when touched symptoms known to last up to a month. Other side effects include headaches, muscle pain, fatigue and nausea, which are all common with other vaccines as well, but the extended periodof discomfort tied to the vaccine has been a first for me.

The initial and enduring pain and itching has definitely been manageable but also unexpected uncertainty that has generated unnecessary panic that I was not prepared to handle. All people planning to receive the vaccine should know what to expect about the shot and its side effects well before getting it not right before the needle enters their forearm.

Ultimately, getting the vaccine and avoiding monkeypox was worth the experience, but I wish D.C. Health informed me better ahead of time.The department could have included videos or pictures to explain the vaccination process in emails they sent about my appointment. Health care professionals at the site should also communicate better about the experience and what it entails. I left the vaccination sight jarred in both an emotional and physical sense, not looking forward to returning in a month for my second shot. Since no one told me, Ill tell you be aware of misgendering and lack of queer knowledge at D.C. Health. The injection might also hurt, and side effects can last up to a month.

Heres to a second dose that goes better than the first.

Riley Goodfellow, a sophomore majoring in political science, is the contributing opinions editor.

This article appeared in the September 1, 2022 issue of the Hatchet.

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Essay: The reality of getting the monkeypox vaccine - GW Hatchet

If you haven't been able to get a monkeypox vaccine, they'll be offered to anyone who's at least 18 this weekend during the three-day event.

GALVESTON, Texas Free monkeypoxvaccines are being offered to anyone 18 and over this weekend at Pride Galveston, according to the Galveston County Health Department.

You don't need an appointment and you don't have to be a resident of Galveston County. You can fill out a registration and screening formonline in advance.

Free monkeypox vaccines schedule

The vaccines will be available each day during the three-day event.

Galveston County Health Authority Dr. Philip Keiser said they only have five monkeypox cases there, but they want to keep those numbers low by vaccinating as many people as possible.

He said the Biden administration recently asked health departments to do outreach events like this one to help control the spread.

Now we wanted to do it, but we didnt have enough vaccine to really do it. So, we called up our colleagues at the state department of health services and ended up working with Fort Bend County, Harris County, City of Houston. And theyve all donated vaccines for this effort," Kaiser said.

He said they have enough doses for about 2,000 people.

They're also offering free HIV and syphilis testing and free condoms at Pride Galveston, which takes place Friday through Sunday.

Harris County Public Health is urging those eligible to receive the monkeypox vaccine to make an appointment as soon as possible.

This comes after the health department confirmed a patient who was presumptive positive for monkeypox, and also had other severe illnesses, died Sunday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to confirm the positive status of the test sample. The cause of death of the patient is unknown.

During a press conference Tuesday, Dr. Ericka Brown said those who are severely immunocompromised should get the vaccine.

Those wanting a vaccination can call the Harris County Public Health hotline at 832-927-0707 to make an appointment.

As of Tuesday, the health department reported a total of 563 monkeypox cases with 455 of those cases in Houston.

Excerpt from:

Free monkeypox vaccines available for anyone 18 and over this weekend at Pride Galveston - KHOU.com

A monkeypox vaccine distribution clinic will take place in Oakland Friday and Saturday.

The distribution will happen at The City of Refuge United Church of Christ on Enterprise Way starting at 11 a.m. ahead of the city's Pride parade and Pride-fest this weekend.

Organizers say the mission is to reach communities of color.

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Monkeypox Vaccines to Be Distributed in Oakland - NBC Bay Area

In many places, there's still a major shortage of monkeypox vaccines. A plan to stretch the U.S. supply could help get shots into arms more quickly, but it's also untested and introduces new challenges. Richard Vogel/AP hide caption

In many places, there's still a major shortage of monkeypox vaccines. A plan to stretch the U.S. supply could help get shots into arms more quickly, but it's also untested and introduces new challenges.

After a bumpy start, the Biden administration is trying to smooth out the vaccination campaign aimed at controlling the country's growing monkeypox outbreak.

The effort now rests on a new and untested strategy of dividing up what were previously full doses in order to stretch the limited stockpile of vaccines in the U.S.

This comes as monkeypox cases have climbed well above 14,000 in the U.S. a case count higher than any other country in the world and yet many local health departments still report not having enough vaccines to reach all those who are considered at heightened risk of contracting the disease.

"We are definitely in what we're still calling 'The Hunger Games' phase of this where there's nowhere near enough doses for the demand," says Dr. Mark Del Beccaro, Assistant Deputy Chief for Public Health Seattle & King County.

Already facing the expected logistical hurdles of running a vaccine campaign in a public health emergency, health officials now have to tackle another challenge: how to squeeze five doses out of single-dose vials.

"It's great that we are able to increase the number of people we can vaccinate with the current supply," says Claire Hannan, head of the Association of Immunization Managers. Still, "when you make a change like that, it's kind of like turning the barge around in the middle of the sea."

The change poses challenges with messaging and logistics training providers and getting the right equipment and it raises concerns among some over equity as early vaccine data rolls in, showing significant racial disparities.

The U.S. government's plan to get the disease under control is largely based on giving out the JYNNEOS vaccine, a two-shot series against monkeypox made by Bavarian Nordic.

But a series of missteps at the start of the response left the U.S. with a major vaccine shortage. The federal government was slow to order vaccines, allowing other countries to jump the queue, and distribution has been chaotic for states and cities.

So far, the U.S. has shipped around 700,000 vials of the monkeypox vaccine to states and territories for distribution. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the first priority is to vaccinate the 1.7 million people who are considered at highest risk.

Facing a shortage in vaccines, the Food and Drug Administration authorized a new dosing strategy last week: the vaccine can now be administered using an "intradermal injection" where the vaccine is injected into the skin rather than the typical method of injecting into the layer of fat underneath the skin.

"This action serves to markedly increase vaccine supply," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, in a video released this week. "Intradermal administration of the JYNNEOS vaccine allows vaccine providers to administer a total of up to five separate doses from an existing one-dose vial."

Federal officials are adamant that this smaller amount of vaccine should not be considered a "partial dose" because it's still able to produce a similar level of immunologic response as the original method of administering the vaccine.

However, the evidence for this method is scant, though it has worked for vaccinating against other diseases.

The theory rests on the fact that there are many immune cells embedded in the skin. "When a vaccine is given into this tissue, you can generate a robust immune response using a smaller amount of vaccine," said Dr. John Brooks, a medical epidemiologist from CDC in the video, citing a 2015 study on the vaccine. Brooks also stressed that the method has been studied on other vaccines including those for flu and rabies.

There's also a practical problem with the plan to squeeze five doses out of what was once a single dose:

"It's just mechanically difficult to do," says Del Beccaro of Seattle & King County. "The federal announcement of five doses per vial was, I think, incredibly optimistic and what we're seeing in real life is three to four doses per vial."

Hannan, head of the Association of Immunization Managers, has heard the same concerns.

"Hopefully we will start to see more of the vials yielding five doses, but we're not really seeing that consistently right now," she says.

And yet it seems the federal government is assuming five doses per vial as it divvys up the supplies of vaccine and sends those out to health departments, says Del Beccaro.

So far, much of the U.S. vaccine campaign has focused on reaching people who are unvaccinated and at increased risk of contracting monkeypox, but soon health departments will also have to be ready for the influx of people returning for their second doses 28 days later.

In the Seattle area, that could add up to about 4,000 people in the last week of August. And while it continues to be difficult to predict how the federal supply could change, Del Beccaro says currently it looks like they will not be getting enough vaccine to do second shots while also providing first shots at a high rate.

The switch also requires new supplies and training, says Janna Kerins, medical director at the Chicago Department of Public Health. "It means using a different syringe, a different needle," she says, "So it has taken a bit of time to make sure people have the supplies."

Plus providers need technical training in how to administer a dose into the skin. And "we also need to educate [providers and the communities they serve] on the data that supports this change," though there's not much available, she says.

The new dosing strategy is also feeding into a strong sense of inequity among some in the communities most at risk for the disease.

The overwhelming majority of U.S. cases are still being detected among "men who reported recent sexual contact with other men," CDC director Rochelle Walensky told reporters on Thursday.

Though the data is imperfect, what's currently available shows another trend: a disproportionately high number of Black and LatinX members of the gay and queer community are getting monkeypox and they've also had a hard time getting access to vaccines.

On August 10, North Carolina's health department released findings that 70% of the state's cases have been detected in Black men, but just 24% of monkeypox vaccines have gone to this group.

Chicago is also seeing vaccination gaps in men of color. 30% of the city's cases have been found among Latino men, but just 15% of vaccines have gone to the Latino population, according to Kerins, in Chicago. "We have some work to do to try to align the doses of vaccine better with those who are [at risk of] becoming cases," she says.

National data indicates that queer Black and Brown communities are experiencing high rates of monkeypox: 33% of cases are occurring among those who are Hispanic and 28% among those who are Black.

While no national data has been shared on vaccinations, lack of access for these groups is a problem across the board, says Joseph Osmundson, a microbiologist at NYU and a queer community organizer in New York. The new dosing strategy could feed into that.

"We expect the data in New York and elsewhere to be similar," Osmundson says. "What this [dosing strategy] is doing is using a different dosing regimen for those who get the vaccine late who are more likely to be working class and more likely to be Black and Brown, who have not had the privilege, the ability to access vaccine yet."

The disparities in vaccine access have sowed suspicion and distrust in communities of color, says Kenyon Farrow, with the advocacy group Prep4All.

Farrow says public health leaders still have to do more to explain why this new strategy is not necessarily inferior. He says a sentiment he's seen online, especially from gay men of color, is that "they let White gay men take all the first full doses. And so we're now supposed to believe that a fifth of that dose is going to do us just as well."

Federal health officials say they're working to bridge these disparities.

On Thursday, the White House monkeypox response team announced a pilot program to bring vaccines to Pride festivals and events where they can reach the gay, bisexual and queer communities at highest risk for contracting the virus.

"Many of the events we're focusing on are events that focus on populations who are overrepresented in this outbreak," including Black and Latino individuals, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, deputy coordinator of the national monkeypox response, said on Thursday during a briefing with federal health officials.

"It's really about positioning messaging and biomedical interventions where people can reach it, and also making sure that we're going to the right places and talking about the right people."

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A health-care worker prepares to administer a free monkeypox vaccine in Wilton Manors, Florida. The question: Can vaccination slow the outbreak? Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

A health-care worker prepares to administer a free monkeypox vaccine in Wilton Manors, Florida. The question: Can vaccination slow the outbreak?

Finally, we have a glimmer of good news about monkeypox: The outbreaks in some countries, including the U.K., Germany and parts of Canada, are starting to slow down.

On top of that, the outbreak in New York City may also be peaking and on the decline, according to new data from the city's health department.

All these outbreaks are "far from extinguished," says infectious disease specialist Dr. Donald Vinh at McGill University in Montreal. But there are signs that, in some places, "they're a bit more under control than they had been."

For example, in the U.K., the number of new cases reported each day has steadily declined since late July, dropping from 50 daily cases to only about 25. (By contrast, here in the U.S., daily cases are still increasing. Since late July, the U.S. daily count has risen from 350 new cases to 450 cases.)

Some health officials credit the monkeypox vaccine and its quick rollout as the key factor that's slowing the spread of the virus in the U.K..

"Over 25,000 have been vaccinated with the smallpox vaccine, as part of the strategy to contain the monkeypox outbreak in the UK.," the U.K. Health Security Agency wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. "These 1000s of vaccines, given by the NHS to those at highest risk of exposure, should have a significant impact on the transmission of the virus."

Indeed, the U.K. and parts of Canada rolled out the vaccine in late May, weeks before doses became available in most U.S. cities.

But does the monkeypox vaccine have the ability to stop or curb the spread of the virus? To answer that question, we need to first understand a few basics about this vaccine.

What actually is the monkeypox vaccine? How does it work?

So the monkeypox vaccine is actually the smallpox vaccine. Maybe that sounds a bit strange, but in fact the two pox viruses are related. They're a bit like cousins.

Health-care workers used an earlier version of this vaccine to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s. So versions of this vaccine have been given to hundreds of millions of people over the past century. It has a long track record.

Back in the late 1980s, researchers started to notice something remarkable about this vaccine. During a monkeypox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then called Zaire), people who were immunized against smallpox were less likely to get monkeypox. They were protected. And not by just a little but by quite a bit. In a small study, published in 1988, researchers estimated the smallpox vaccine offered about 85% protection against monkeypox.

Now, the virus in this study was a different variant of monkeypox than the one circulating in the current international outbreak and that variant wasn't spreading primarily through sexual contact, as monkeypox is doing today. So we don't know how well these findings will translate to protection during the current outbreak. Which brings us to the next question.

How well does the vaccine protect against a monkeypox infection?

The short answer is: "We don't know," says infectious disease specialist Dr. Boghuma Titanji at Emory University.

There's no doubt the vaccine will offer some protection, Titanji says. "But right now, we still need studies in people to understand what level that protection actually is."

In North America and Europe, countries are primarily rolling out a vaccine called JYNNEOS, which was developed in the early 21st century. The goal with this vaccine is to increase its safety compared to the older vaccine, whose life-threatening complications, including encephalitis and skin necrosis, occurred in about 4 out of every million people vaccinated. That vaccine also could cause damaging skin lesions in people with eczema or weakened immune systems. (Note: There is a shortage of the JYNNEOS vaccine, and no doses have been shared with or sold to countries in Africa, which have experienced monkeypox outbreaks since the 1970s.)

Although older versions of the vaccine have been tested thoroughly in people, there has never been a large, clinical study to measure JYNNEOS's ability to protect against a monkeypox infection in people or to stop transmission of the virus.

What is known about the vaccine, in terms of its efficacy against monkeypox, comes from studies in macaques, and immunological studies in people, which demonstrated the vaccine triggers the production of monkeypox antibodies in people's blood.

"So we know that the vaccine does stimulate the immune system and people produce antibodies when they receive the vaccine," Titanji says, "but we don't have a clinical data in humans to actually tell us, 'Okay, that immune response translates to this level of protection against getting infected with monkeypox or reducing the severity of monkeypox disease if you do get infected.' "

And it's not a guarantee of protection. In this current outbreak, scientists have already begun to document breakthrough infection with this vaccine, the World Health Organization reported Thursday. "[This] is also really important information because it tells us that the vaccine is not 100% effective in any given circumstance," said Dr. Rosamund Lewis of WHO. "We cannot expect 100% effectiveness at the moment based on this emerging information."

And so when Titanji gives a person the JYNNEOS vaccine at her clinic, she is very clear about what the vaccine can and can't do. "I tell them, 'We do know that you're going to get some protection from this vaccine. Some protection is better than no protection. We also do know that the vaccine can reduce the severity of the disease if you do get infected. But we don't know for a fact that you would be completely protected from getting monkeypox.' "

Can this vaccine if given to the people who need it the most slow down the outbreak?

So the new data from the U.K. and Germany suggest that indeed this vaccine can curb the spread of monkeypox.

But Dr. Vinh at McGill University says it's way too soon to say the vaccine, alone, is the only factor contributing to the slow down in these countries. "No single measure is going to really be the solution here," says Vinh.

In addition to vaccination, people at high risk need to learn how they can protect themselves. And doctors have to learn how to spot monkeypox cases, he says.

Right now the percentage of monkeypox tests coming back positive is still incredibly high, Titanji says. "The positivity rate is close to 40%." And that means doctors are missing many cases. Specifically, they are still mistaking monkeypox for other sexually transmitted diseases such as syphyllis.

"I can tell you, from the lens of a clinician, that monkeypox is very, very easy to mistake for another infectious disease," she says.

Some people have had to visit clinics two or three times and even have been treated for another STD before the clinician suspects monkeypox.

"You really have to maintain a very high index of suspicion because some of the lesions are so subtle and the clinical presentation is so variable," she says. "At this phase of the outbreak, we should be over testing rather than under testing. If a doctor even remotely suspects monkeypox, they should be sending a test for it."

Otherwise people can't receive treatment for monkeypox and they can unknowingly spread it to others. And the outbreak will continue to grow while people wait to receive a vaccine and for that vaccine to begin working.

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