DPH: SF lacking monkeypox vaccine

San Francisco (Kron) – San Francisco said in a press release at noon Wednesday that the dose of the monkeypox vaccine Jynneos was “very low.”

Zuckerberg San Francisco General has 50 doses remaining and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis today.

after that? The plan is to “release the shutter for the rest of the week or until a new vaccine supply arrives,” DPH said.

“People are likely to turn their backs,” DPH continued. “Other SFDPH sites such as SF City Clinic and Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic are processing the rest of the bookings and are expected to run out of vaccines this week as well.”

Just yesterday, San Francisco public health and gay community leaders called the federal government an “abnormal” reaction by supervisor Rafael Mandelman to outbreaks that are primarily affecting gay and bisexual men. It was blown up.

“Here, there is an increase in incidents by federal public health agencies and there is no urgent action,” Mandelman said. “Local civil servants, health care providers, and activists need to beg for an appropriate response. The response that monkeypox would have received if it had not primarily affected the people of Queer.”

The Biden administration has announced plans to vaccinate 2 million people by the end of next year. The plan Mandelman said is not enough to deal with the crisis.

The city received a total of 2,888 monkeypox vaccines out of the 35,000 requested, DPH told KRON4. Of these, 1,702 were distributed by the department (not including those distributed by community partners, such as the Magnet Clinic run by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in Strat in the city’s Castro district).

DPH spokesman Allison Hawkes was unable to find out the dose of vaccine still waiting to be used at KRON4 or at the DPH-run City Clinic south of the market district. But she said both sites have a long wait list.

“City Clinic is competing for reservations,” says Hawks. “We are distributing them as soon as possible, and work through the remaining doses until the weekend.”

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It was also announced today that the number of monkeypox cases reported in San Francisco has increased from 60 to 68.

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) reiterated Mandelman’s statement in a press release starting Tuesday.

“Because of the lack of vaccine supply, and the slowing of vaccination due to continued limited supply, we have uncontrolled monkeypox that spreads to the community and many other communities. We are heading towards public health turmoil. Failure to control this outbreak will bring intense and completely unnecessary misery to many, especially gay and bisexual men, “he said. Said. “We need a huge amount of additional vaccine doses, and we need it soon. The failure of the federal government could cause serious harm to our community. Yes, once we get over this emergency, we need to be accountable for these failures, which endanger people’s lives and health. “

Wiener said a global outbreak is known to be possible for 12 years.

“We need to clarify this completely avoidable situation, where the federal responsibility lies,” Wiener said. “Dating back to 2010, public health experts warned that monkeypox would inevitably spread beyond West Africa. And in 2019, the FDA issued a safe and effective monkeypox vaccine. Approved. Still, the U.S. government ordered only 56,000 vaccinations (enough for 28,000 people) for the country’s vaccine stock, and millions should have been ordered in case of an unavoidable outbreak. The FDA was unable to perform a rapid inspection of the new production facility, so the United States owns one million doses stored in Denmark, which is a shocking sense of urgency. Shows a lack of. “

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Symptoms of monkeypox include the onset of flu-like symptoms and the characteristic rashes and sores that look like acne and blisters.

These raised flat red spots can be anywhere on the body, but they are most likely in the genital or rectal area, or in the fingers, mouth, or eyes. The spots become ridges that break and become scabs. Itching may occur, but it is not always the case.

In addition, some people suffer from only one or some of these symptoms. You may have a fever but no rash. Alternatively, these symptoms can occur consecutively rather than simultaneously.

What is a monkeypox vaccine?

Vaccination within 14 days of exposure can prevent or reduce the risk of illness, as the incubation period can be several weeks. Health care providers should test for other infections with similar symptoms, such as syphilis. Testing for monkeypox has been confirmed in specialized laboratories. The monkeypox virus belongs to the orthopoxvirus family alongside smallpox, and routine immunization in the United States ended in 1972 after the disease was declared eradicated here. The smallpox vaccine is at least 85% effective against monkeypox, but its effectiveness diminishes over time.

Side effects of the Jynneos vaccine include redness, pain, swelling, muscle aches, headaches, malaise, and nausea at the injection site.

Who gets infected with monkeypox?

“Many cases occur within a network of gay, bisexual, trance people, and men who have sex with men,” said Noel Sanchez, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Public Health Department.

“SFDPH takes monkeypox seriously,” Sanchez said. “Most of the time, it resolves spontaneously without pills or treatment, but monkeypox can be serious. We want to prevent the virus from spreading to more people and potentially endemic. We strive to contain outbreaks and reduce infections. To that end, we are educating and supporting the most endemic communities. Tracking cases of monkeypox; risks due to exposure. Distribute and administer the virus as a precautionary measure to people with high levels of disease, especially to support testing and clinical guidance to providers. “

Sanchez advises people to:

• Cover exposed skin in the crowd
• Avoid begging and sharing clothes
• Discuss health, rashes and beaches with close physical and sexual stakeholders
• Pay attention to the symptoms