Under the fire, U.S. officials say monkeypox can still be stopped

“We believe we have done everything we can at the federal level and worked with affected state and region partners and communities to anticipate this and end this outbreak. “Masu,” said Xavier Besera, head of the Department of Health and Social Welfare. The service told reporters over the phone.

But he added that local health officials “must play their part.” … we don’t have the authority to teach them what to do. “

The backlash from federal leaders arose when they announced plans to distribute 780,000 shots of the double-dose Jynneos vaccine. Dose is assigned to states, cities, and other regions based on the number of cases and the size of the population at high risk for the disease.

San Francisco Health Department. New York; Washington DC; and elsewhere, they say they don’t have enough shots to meet demand yet and have stopped scheduling a second vaccination to increase supply.

Becerra said the federal government has finished its work and the responsibility for using the available tools now rests with local civil servants.

“We have made vaccines, tests and treatments available in all jurisdictions far beyond what is currently needed,” he said.

However, a representative from a specialized clinic said Besera’s comments indicated “a lack of understanding of the full picture of the crisis.”

“Clinics across the country are appealing to federal health authorities for the information, supplies, and staffing needed to successfully end this outbreak,” said David C. Harvey, Managing Director of the National Union of STD Directors. Said in a statement. The group is demanding $ 100 million in emergency funding from local health departments and clinics.

As of the end of Wednesday, more than 4,600 cases of monkeypox were reported in the United States, according to the CDC, and federal officials expect these numbers to increase.

Over 99% of reported cases are male and most of them are among the reported males Sexual contact Along with other men, but health officials emphasized that anyone can catch the virus.

According to Becerra, the United States is now able to test 60,000-80,000 people per day, but the number of tests per day is well below that.

The monkeypox virus spreads primarily through skin-to-skin contact, but can also be transmitted by touching the linen used by infected individuals. People with monkeypox may experience fever, body aches, chills, and malaise. Many who developed developed acne-like ridges, sometimes painful.

The United States has ordered 5.5 million vaccinations by mid-2023 and has rights to raw materials that allow 11.1 million vaccinations. U.S. officials said large-scale vaccination campaigns could still be avoided if communities and individuals took steps to avoid the epidemic.

In San Francisco, Tom Templano was scheduled to take a second dose next week, but was recently notified that it was canceled due to limited supply. Temprano, political director of San Francisco-based Equality California, said he was dissatisfied with the very long time it took health officials to respond.

“It’s a very disappointing response to the first major public health crisis we’re facing, especially since we’re still in a pandemic for two and a half years,” he said.

He also thinks it is similar to the slow response of the government to AIDS in the 1980s.

“I’ve heard from many … I feel this is similar to the real concern and lack of urgency of illnesses that are disproportionately affecting the LGBTQ + community,” said 36. Said Templano.

The CDC currently estimates that approximately 1.5 million Americans, primarily men who have sex with men, meet vaccination recommendations.

However, Thursday officials refused to set a numerical value for the vaccine dose needed to stop the outbreak. Almost 340,000 doses of the vaccine were distributed, but CDC officials admitted that they didn’t know how many doses the federal government had given.

An additional 780,000 shots sent to the state this week Transportation and regulatory hurdles.. They sat in a Danish storage for several weeks when US regulators completed inspection and certification of manufactured facilities.

California Senator Scott Wiener, a member of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, called the additional vaccine “important.” But he added: “Of course, that’s not enough. We know that millions more doses will occur from the rest of the year to next year.”

The Georgia Department of Health did not have to postpone the second dose, but spokeswoman Nancy Nidam said: Every time the health department or other provider opens an appointment or slot at an event, they are picked up in just a few minutes. “

Associated Press writer Andrew Selsky of Salem, Oregon and Mike Stobbe of New York contributed to the story.

The Associated Press’s Department of Health Sciences is supported by the Department of Science Education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all content.