New Yorkers began to be vaccinated against monkeypox: but the vaccine is not enough for everyone

On June 23, New York began vaccinating against monkeypox for at-risk groups. Thus, the authorities are trying to contain the global outbreak, reports NBC New York.

Demand was so high that within a few hours of the start of the program, the city had to stop accepting visitors. And the scheduled visits have already been booked until early next week.

Unlike the early days of COVID-19, when there was no effective treatment, there are now many vaccines that work against the orthopoxvirus that causes monkeypox. However, the issue is supply.

Nearly 30 people in the city have tested positive for the virus since early May. Mostly they are men who have sex with men. And in the last week alone, the number of cases has increased by 60%. In total, New York City accounts for more than 20% of all cases diagnosed nationwide.

The decision to offer a vaccine follows similar moves in Montreal and Toronto

The Department of Health on Thursday, June 23, announced the opening of a temporary clinic to administer two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine to people who may have recently been exposed to monkeypox. New York Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Wasan said concerns, especially among sexually active gay and bisexual men, prompted the city to decide on vaccine availability.

Vaccinations will be given at the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic (303 Ninth Avenue, Manhattan). The clinic is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from 11:00 to 19:00.

But as of 14:00 p.m. on June 24, just three hours after the vaccination site opened, the city said it would not be accepting any more visitors and all appointments were full until Monday. News 4 counted over 100 people lining up in front of the clinic at the time.

One of them said that many recordings were canceled about 10 minutes after they became available online.

On the subject: Legionnaires' disease and monkeypox continue to spread across New York

The health department advised people to return on Sunday to make additional appointments next week.

“We are in talks with the CDC to receive additional doses and are looking into ways to increase our capacity across the city,” the health department said.

Mark Levine, Manhattan borough president, tweeted that the city had only received about 1000 doses of vaccine from the national stockpile.

How can you get monkeypox?

Last week, the CDC released new guidance on monkeypox control as the number of cases across the country soared. And it marked the largest outbreak of monkeypox in American history, which was usually limited to other continents.

While the agency says the risk to the general public remains low, people are advised to avoid close contact with sick people, especially those with skin or genital lesions, and sick or dead animals. Anyone showing symptoms such as unexplained skin rashes or lesions should contact their healthcare provider.

In addition, it is recommended to avoid the consumption of game meat or the use of products obtained from wild animals from Africa.

Monkeypox begins with fever, headache, and muscle pain. There may be exhaustion. The virus, among other things, causes enlargement of the lymph nodes, which does not happen with ordinary smallpox. The incubation period is usually 7-14 days, but can vary from 5 to 21 days.