Hundreds get monkeypox vaccine at LA clinic

Mark Webber and Doug Brown woke up before dawn and set out from Agoura Hills, arriving at the Leimert Park clinic around 6:00 a.m. to be vaccinated against monkeypox.

“We came out in the 80s. Webber said. Monkeypox poses a threat to health, so “we take it very seriously,” she said.

Lines began to form hours before the Crenshaw Boulevard clinic began immunizations on Wednesday, meandering through the parking lot at the St. John’s Community Health site. Inside the clinic, health workers divided each vial of the Jynneos vaccine into five doses after federal officials gave the green light Tuesday to change how the injections were administered.

In the scorching heat, Gail Castillo, head of nursing at St. John’s Hospital, walked along the lines of patients awaiting vaccinations and explained what to expect. skin. “Have you ever been tested for tuberculosis? Same thing,” Castillo told them, showing them pictures of the process.

As Angelenos tries to evade the virus, supplies of the Gynneos vaccine, a shot approved by the Food and Drug Administration to protect against monkeypox, are limited. No, but it can cause fever, pain, swollen lymph nodes, and painful lesions, forcing people to quarantine for weeks.

People line up to be vaccinated against monkeypox at the St. John’s Community Health Site in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

With demand outstripping supply, the County of Los Angeles is limiting who is vaccinated and only offering the vaccine to those deemed to be at high risk. We also urge healthcare providers to: Prioritize first dose The Jynneos vaccine is intended to be given in two doses at least four weeks apart, rather than ensuring that people receive the second dose.

Federal officials also said Tuesday Extend supply of monkeypox vaccine by allowing health care providers to give smaller doses at a more superficial level of the skin. intradermal injection, Previously used in other missing inoculations. The FDA cited clinical studies that found that small, shallow doses elicit similar types of immune responses to subcutaneous injections. Doing this effectively quintuples the number of shots available, as this method uses only one-fifth of the total dose.

“I think it’s a very smart use of vaccines,” said Anne Rimoin, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Rimowan said the plan is grounded in sound science, but “but some work needs to be done to assess how effective it will be.”

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Wallenski told reporters on Tuesday that the intradermal method is a better way to expand access to vaccines.LA County Public Health Department Chief Medical Officer “As we transition to an intradermal or alternative regimen, we can allow a second dose,” said Rita Singhal, Ph.D., on Thursday.

“We feel strongly that two doses are needed. One reason is that months after one dose, there is no evidence to know that people are adequately protected. Absolutely not,” said director Dr. Peter Marks. of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “And we don’t want to give people a false sense of security.”

While the shift in strategy around the vaccine has raised questions and concerns, the White House deputy coordinator for monkeypox response said the groups most affected by the virus so far — men who have sex with men — He said he was confident in getting vaccinated in general. COVID vaccination coverage is “well above 90%”.

As for monkeypox, “it’s likely we’ll run out of vaccines before we run out of weapons,” said Dr. Demetre Dascalakis.

People line up to be vaccinated against monkeypox at the St. John’s Community Health Site in Los Angeles.

(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

The change was welcomed by St. John’s Community Health, which had already scheduled an immunization clinic the day after the change in immunization strategy was announced. Dr. Anitha Murangi, chief medical officer of the nonprofit healthcare provider, said its team was immediately mobilized to make the switch. One of the key changes, he said, is that the intradermal vaccination is now done on the underside of the lower arm.

Ernesto Barahona, chief development officer at St. John’s, said splitting the dose would provide enough for 1,800 patients. Demand was subdued in the heat of August and people were queuing outside. West Adams resident Ruben Ramirez said he didn’t flinch when he encountered a coiling line in the parking lot when he arrived at 9 a.m.

“The wait is irrelevant, it’s what matters,” said Ramirez, a 59-year-old antiques dealer, in Spanish. Ramirez didn’t want to get sick, but “my bigger concern is infecting other people.”

The rising number of monkeypox cases has fueled the anxiety of 42-year-old actor Taylor Tobias, who came to the clinic from West Hollywood. “What if I can’t work because I’m full of sores?” asked Tobias. At one point, “I fell into a TikTok wormhole and it really freaked me out.”

Even if Tobias gets the vaccine, “I’ll take the same precautions as I do now,” the actor said.

Derek Catao has seen in the news that the federal government is changing how vaccines are administered.

“If more people are protected, I’m in favor,” said Catao, 47, who traveled from Glendale to the vaccination clinic. As the number of cases increased, she said, “I’m afraid it will get worse before it gets better.”

People line up to be vaccinated against monkeypox at the St. John’s Community Health Site in Los Angeles.

(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

Health officials say the virus is most commonly spread by skin-to-skin contact with contagious lesions, usually in intimate settings, but with prolonged exposure, contaminated bed linen and respiratory droplets. It is also possible to become infected through

So far, the virus has disproportionately affected gay and bisexual men. Los Angeles County recognizes that the overwhelming majority of reported cases to date have been men, with the majority of them identified as gay, bisexual, or queer, according to county data.

many gay and bisexual men Postpone social and sexual activity We need to find other ways to reduce risk until we get vaccinated, but “a vaccine is the definitive answer to this,” says Timothy M. Hall, assistant professor of health sciences at UCLA’s Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine. says Dr.

Hall lamented that different expectations apply to gay men than to heterosexuals.

The virus has hit the gay community hardest, but health and community groups have reiterated that the disease can affect anyone. “Everyone needs to be aware of this virus,” said 19-year-old Octavio Hardouin.

“This virus isn’t just for gays,” Hardouin said. “Anyone can take it.”

As of this week, Los Angeles County has received More than 43,000 full doses of the Jynneos vaccine, of which more than 31,000 doses. Singhal, chief medical officer of the county public health department, said the upcoming shipment of additional doses and increased capacity through intradermal injections will allow LA County to fully vaccinate from 85,000 to 90,000 people. said it can. population that is currently at risk.

Currently eligible are gay and bisexual men and transgender people who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the past two weeks or are taking preventative medications to avoid HIV. Target group.

A vial of monkeypox vaccine at the St. John’s Community Health Site in Los Angeles.

(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

The clinic will require patients to fill out screening questions on a certification form to determine their eligibility for vaccination, according to St. John’s Hospital officials. By noon, when the morning line was gone, Barajona said more than 200 people had been vaccinated. By the end of the day, the number had topped 300, according to a St. John’s spokesperson.

The clinic texted patients about the vaccination event, but also posted to Instagram and Facebook where Webber found out about it. He and Brown were keen to get vaccinated after struggling to secure vaccination appointments at their home in Maryland.

Like Webber, Brown evoked memories of the beginning of the AIDS crisis when he talked about wanting to protect himself from monkeypox. talked about what he did. Monkeypox is rarely fatal, but Brown sees resonance in its history.

“Everyone says it’s not a big deal,” said Brown, “until it becomes a big deal.”

Jim Manjia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health, also had AIDS in mind. He sees gays and others grappling with monkeypox as a health threat.

In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, “I used to go to funerals every other week. All my friends were dying,” said Mangia, who is gay. “The LGBT community has banded together and developed its own response, from messaging to support services to numerous prevention strategies,” she said.

Now, “the community needs to come together and get the message out again. We can prevent this,” Manja said. “We need a few more weeks before we have enough vaccines.”

Times staff writer Long Gong Lin II contributed to this report.