Monkeypox is reportedly surging in New York City and thousands have tried to get themselves vaccinated, overwhelming the system set up by the city.
There have now been over 1,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the US, with New York City having more than anywhere else. The city’s official figure jumped from 223 cases on Monday to 336 yesterday, but experts think the true figure will be higher.
Earlier this week, the city tapped a new contractor, Affiliated Physicians, to administer its monkeypox vaccines. When it opened up appointment slots online on Tuesday, the website quickly crashed when thousands tried to book.
Related: Gay man with monkeypox reveals symptoms and lesions in viral video
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The city has around 7,000 two-shot vaccine doses to give out. Many of these have already been administered, with a further 14,500 due from the federal government by the end of this week. The city is prioritizing men who have sex with men who have had multiple sex partners in recent months.
On Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams wrote to President Biden, saying there is an “urgent and unmet demand” in the city for the monkeypox vaccine. He said the city needed far more than the 14,500 shots already promised.
Adams also urged the Biden administration to re-think how many vaccines should be allocated for first and second doses. He suggested more vaccine shots be given out urgently as first doses to promote further widespread immunity in the community.
BREAK: Mayor Eric Adams has asked the Biden administration to delay administering the second doses of the monkeypox vaccine to expand reach of current campaign; also asking for additional shots proportional to caseload.
Comes as cases grow, pressure builds over response. pic.twitter.com/WZp3OYc9fw
— City Nolan (get your 💉!!!) (@ndhapple) July 11, 2022
Adams also had a telephone meeting on Tuesday with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We discussed the supply constraints that New York City is facing and the urgency to expand our vaccine access footprint to more people, in more neighborhoods, through more partners and providers,” he said in a statement.
Who is getting monkeypox?
Meanwhile, data from the UK, which was one of the first countries in Europe to experience the current monkeypox outbreak, has revealed who is acquiring the virus. In short, it’s sexually-active gay men, many of whom have been traveling to festivals and other events.
Interesting data from the UK’s #monkeypox outbreak. (If only the US had such rich data collection!) The outbreak is occurring among men who have sex with men who tend to travel, have high rates of STIs and have multiple sexual partners. https://t.co/oJYJx9qpqs pic.twitter.com/sjlnIYxlML
— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) July 14, 2022
The UK now has 1,735 confirmed cases of the disease, with most of those in London.
Of those cases, 96% were gay or bisexual men. Almost a third had traveled abroad in the 21 days before diagnosis, and one in five were under the age of 30. Just over half had had an STI in the previous 12 months, and 31% had had ten or more sexual partners in the previous three months.
The UK also asked those with monkeypox to confirm if they’d attended a list of settings in the period before infection. Four out of ten had attended festivals. In some instances, two or more monkeypox cases could be traced back to the same festival on the same day.
It’s likely a similar pattern may be emerging in the US, with at least a couple of cases linked back to the International Mr. Leather event in Chicago in late May.
Related: Monkeypox: International Mr Leather event in Chicago linked to cases
What is monkeypox
Monkeypox is caused by a virus similar to smallpox. Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
It will often be accompanied by a chickenpox-like rash, with lesions tending to eventually scab over and fall off.
It’s usually a mild, self-limiting illness, and most people will recover within weeks. However, the deadliest variant of the virus can be fatal for up to one in ten of those infected.
The form of the virus currently circulating is believed to be milder, with a fatality rate of less than 1 percent. No one is known to have died in this current outbreak.
Anyone who feels unwell and notices an unusual rash is advised to seek medical help.
Discover more
inbama
When Monkey Pox first hit London, LGB Alliance recommended a temporary closing of onsite sex venues like bathhouses.
For this, they were viciously attacked by Benjamin Cohen, CEO of Pink News, who condemns any attempt by lesbians, gays and bisexuals to represent themselves as “transphobic.”
This health crisis makes it clear why gays need our own organizations looking out for us.
ShiningSex
Bathhouses are disgusting. Our community should never have reopened those places. It’s just infested with diseases. As a gay man, I’m ashamed that our community makes crap like this to be normal and it’s NOT.
Anonymous sex is gross.
hotttt123
Im not a hoe butttt I do have an encounter here and there and I inquired about the vaccine and was told I had to believe I was exposed to receive it??
Doug
That’s ridiculous. Lie and tell them you were.
gregg2010
Yup. In order to get the vaccine, you need to lie and tell them you’ve had a known exposure. Otherwise, at this point, it is a no go.
ShiningSex
Bathhouses are a disgrace to our community. I love some filth, but those places are a cesspool of diseases. Have more respect for yourself.
Den
It is not where you have sex, but how and with whom. Are you too dull to understand how diseases are transmitted, even when it is clearly explained?
M.Gallo
Another tragedy occurring on Biden’s and the Democrats’ watch.
And what is the CDC doing? Nothing.
Sad and avoidable!
Den
Yes, if only we had a strongmam dictator like the traitorous right wants….thwn.all the little sheep.woulf.be safe. You, child are pitiful. Go to Hungary or Russia. You will be happier, and so will we.
M.Gallo
Den:
You’re always making excuses for the tragedies that Biden and the Democrats have inflicted on America. Your pathetic attempts to change the subject are not working.
M.Gallo
Den:
Previously, you claimed to be Jewish, however, I’ve never heard a Jewish person say, “You, child are pitiful.” Are you sure you’re not an African American who was raised in the deep south? Sounds like it.
kevkev
So glad I don’t live in in the US and have to share the same space with fools such as yourself.
Me2
There’s one major fact missing: monkey pox is not an std and can be transmitted by any type of close contact. I understand that sexually active gay men seem to be the majority of positive cases, for now. But only correlating gay sex and the virus is irresponsible.
Neoprene
I’ve heard these bois are gettin the pox all over their tingly parts. ICKY POO!
Neoprene
MONKEY POX! Such a FUN sounding disease. You bois go getcherself some MONKEY POX now before it’s all gone, ya hear?
M.Gallo
Monkeypox can also last for months in some cases, and after the pustules break, they can leave permanent scars all over the body, including the face, neck, chest, arms, hands, legs, and of course the private areas.
Neoprene
Killjoy.
Scout
The one hugely significant positive is that Monkey Pox is being taken seriously and much more timely than the advent of HIV and AIDS which the government ignored for years as a Gay disease.
Cozmo2
To ShiningSex get off the cross
southernway
Not much sympathy here – this is a known high risk and they take it anyway – no self discipline and no consideration except for getting dick and getting dick from unknown persons means a getting sick – don’t blames others -this is a self induced sickness clearly known- just stupid