Monkeypox plagues New York, but racial disparities remain in vaccine access

At the peak of the outbreak, New York was seeing an average of 81 new infections per day. As of Sept. 9, the state saw an average of 27 new infections each day, according to the state health department.

This week, state health departments announced plans to distribute 3,840 vials of the federally-allocated Jynneos monkeypox vaccine as part of Phase 4 of the vaccine distribution effort. Each vial contains 4-5 doses, giving eligible New Yorkers a total of 15,000 doses.

In the metropolitan area, about 100 vials are sent to Albany County. Renselia and Schenectady counties will each receive 20 vials.

According to the Department of Health, there are 10 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the 11-county area, five of them in Albany County.

Authorities are also relaxing vaccination eligibility requirements for those most at risk of contracting the disease. Vaccines are now available to anyone who is at risk of becoming infected. Previously, eligibility was largely limited to those who believed they were already infected.

“We hope that expanding eligibility will help more New Yorkers get vaccinated and prevent further infections,” state health commissioner Mary T. Bassett, Ph.D. said in a statement. This will allow us to reach more people across the state with vaccines before they get infected.”

According to new DOH guidance, anyone known to have been exposed to a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox in the past 14 days should work directly with their local health department or health care provider to We need to talk about vaccination.

Whites have so far benefited disproportionately from vaccines, even though blacks and Hispanic men make up a disproportionate number of confirmed monkeypox cases.

About 67.4% of vaccinees outside of New York City were Caucasian, but Caucasians account for about 35% of monkeypox infections. Fifteen percent of those vaccinated were Hispanic, but Hispanics account for 39% of monkeypox cases.

Nine percent of those vaccinated were black outside of New York City. Blacks make up about 20% of all infections outside her District 5, according to the state’s Department of Health.

Also, in New York, women are overwhelmingly among the vaccine recipients. The current monkeypox epidemic has hit gay and bisexual men hard, but nearly 4,000 of her women, including 938 of them outside of New York City, have been vaccinated, and vaccines continue. It is insufficient.

Eight confirmed monkeypox cases outside New York City are women.

State and federal governments are trying to narrow the gap by targeting education and vaccine resources to high-risk populations. Strategies include launching educational campaigns, distributing resources through organizations that provide STD testing and HIV resources, and holding vaccine clinics at LGBTQ community events.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently Monkeypox Vaccine Stock Pilot Program, aimed at reaching populations likely to face vaccination barriers. Barriers may include language differences, vaccination site locations, vaccine hesitance, distrust of government, lack of access to online scheduling technology, immigration status, stigma, and more, federal health officials said. said.

“We have a responsibility to address the inequalities highlighted by this epidemic, and this program can help make a difference,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. It affects sexual and other male community members who have sex with men at disproportionate rates, disproportionately affecting black and Hispanic communities. Addressing and reducing these disparities “Distributing monkeypox vaccine by method is the goal of this program and a top priority for CDC and our public health partners.”

New York is new these days FAQ page This is part of a comprehensive public awareness campaign for higher education administrators to spread information about monkeypox to New Yorkers. This includes paid digital advertising to reach men who have sex with men and the creation of dedicated websites with updates on the virus.

The State Department of Health also launched a new text messaging system to provide information to New Yorkers about monkeypox. This includes the ability to opt-in to location-based messages, including the availability of vaccines and treatments.

Monkeypox is spread primarily through close physical contact between people, but certain groups, including gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and gender nonconforming men who have sex with men, are more affected than others. is recieving.

Information from previous outbreaks around the world suggests that older New Yorkers, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and children under the age of eight are at high risk of severe consequences if infected. indicates a possibility.

New Yorkers can sign up for the text campaign by sending “MONKEYPOX” to 81336 or “MONKEYPOXESP” for Spanish text.