Insufficient monkeypox testing and vaccinesExBulletin

Scott Simon, Host:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified approximately 800 cases of monkeypox in the United States as authorities seek to increase testing capacity and vaccine shipments to stop the spread of the virus. But those efforts do not meet the demand. NPR health reporter Pien Huang has joined us to bring together the latest news. Pien, thank you for being with us.

PIEN HUANG, Byline: Good morning, Scott.

SIMON: And let’s start with the test. What are some of the holdups out there?

HUANG: According to a new CDC treatise published yesterday, only 2,000 samples were tested in the lab during the first six weeks from the outbreak of monkeypox to the end of June. Some of the issues were on the lab’s side, as the CDC now states that the lab’s response network can run about 60,000 tests at that time. At first the process was slow. There was a staff limit. But part of that was also the fact that it was difficult for providers to use this lab network. Paperwork and permission from public health authorities were required. And another challenge identified by the National Council of the STD Board is that many clinics do not have the swabs or test tubes needed to collect samples.

Simon: So what are the authorities doing?

HUANG: Well, just this week, the CDC announced LabCorp, a huge commercial laboratory-they are currently offering monkeypox testing. This is the first of five commercial labs expected to be online. And by the end of the month, LabCorp says it will be able to run 10,000 tests a week. This doubles the existing capacity. It’s much easier for doctors to use. No permission from the Health Department is required to order those tests. And now that this is an option, experts say it can increase significantly as the number of cases increases. This is a more accurate reflection of what is really happening.

SIMON: And how are government efforts going to send vaccines to local health jurisdictions?

HUANG: Well, demand is high here as well, but supply is limited. So far, they have sent about 40,000 doses to the health department. And these are primarily provided to the gay and bisexual male communities, and the virus appears to be spreading through intimate contact. It is also provided to health care workers and other people who may have been exposed. I spoke with Patrick Ashley of the Washington, DC Health Department. They have offered vaccine reservations online.

PATRICK ASHLEY: So far, we have been able to provide a little over 1,000 appointments. Every time we can offer a reservation, they sell out in just a few minutes.

HUANG: I visited one of DC’s monkeypox vaccination sites this week, and a man named Geoff was shot with confidence.

Jeff: I didn’t know enough about it, so I didn’t often feel that I could, for example, try to avoid the busiest places, but also prevent it.

HUANG: Currently, nationally, the government allocates vaccines based on the number of cases. Therefore, DC is about 60 so far, and due to the small population, the case rate of monkeypox per capita is actually the highest. Due to the high numbers, California and New York are the most vaccinated, and states like Aidaho and Arkansas, which just found the first case this week, are not vaccinated.

SIMON: Do you have more vaccines?

HUANG: Yes. The government announced next week that more vaccines will be assigned. This brings the total available nationwide to 200,000. But supporters say that’s not enough. Joseph Osmundson is a New York City-based biologist and queer advocate.

Joseph Osmandson: More people know who has friends or is suffering. They are still struggling to take the test. Basically, you can never access a vaccine without winning some kind of online lottery.

HUANG: He says there is a break between the urgency his community feels and the response from the Fed. He says the anger of the community is growing.

SIMONExBulletin Health Reporter Pien Huang, thank you for being with us.

HUANG: You are welcome.

Copyright © 2022 NPR. all rights reserved.Visit our website terms of service When authority page of www.npr.org For more information.

NPR transcripts are created by NPR contractors in a hurry to the deadline. This text may not be in final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR programming is audio recording.