Jun 27, 2022 - Politics & Policy

NYC, D.C. offering limited monkeypox vaccines

Shawna Chen

Photo of people lined up outside the New York City district health center — People line up outside the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene clinic on June 23 as NYC makes vaccines available to residents possibly exposed to monkeypox. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

New York City and Washington, D.C. have begun offering limited monkeypox vaccines as the nation grapples with how to respond to the disease.

Why it matters: The CDC has documented 201 confirmed cases in the U.S. Both cities quickly maxed out on appointments.

Details: Eligibility is so far limited to communities disproportionately impacted by the outbreak — primarily those in the LGBTQ community who are sexually active and have sex with men, as well as sex workers.

Worth noting: Officials have wrestled with how to frame public messaging amid concern that it could contribute to further stigma and falsely imply that monkeypox is limited to being spread among gay men, the Washington Post reports.

The big picture: The U.S. started shipping vaccines to multiple states this month and recently purchased an additional 300,000 monkeypox vaccines produced by Bavarian Nordic, adding to its current stock of around 72,000 doses.

Yes, but: Local officials have called on the CDC to send more vaccines with appointments now backed up.

Go deeper: Monkeypox offers new cause for contact tracing

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NYC, D.C. offering limited monkeypox vaccines

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