Monkeypox vaccination will be given to those who are most at risk, according to a representative for San Francisco’s Department of Public Health (SFDPH). Until an adequate supply of the vaccine is received, second-dose appointments will be postponed.
There were just 4,164 doses of the vaccine available from the federal stockpile in San Francisco this week, according to the city’s health department. SFDPH has requested 35,000 doses to begin meeting the need, but only 7,700 doses have been allocated to SF so far.
As the global monkeypox outbreak continues to spread, San Francisco Supervisors have called for more communication with at-risk groups as well as an increase in vaccine doses.
The SFDPH acknowledges that incidences of monkeypox in San Francisco have risen “rapidly” and will give first doses of the Jynneos vaccine to as many at-risk individuals as feasible in order to combat this. In light of the rapidly spreading epidemic, the large number of persons who could benefit from the vaccine, and the nationwide scarcity, this is according to the health department’s assessment based on the best available scientific data.
The city of San Francisco has recorded 141 instances of monkeypox, but the city’s health department expects the number to rise. Gay or bisexual men aged 25 to 54 are the majority of the city’s confirmed cases, according to the city’s health department; 42 percent of those cases are in Asian, Black or Hispanic citizens.
All men who have had intercourse with men who have had several sexual partners within the last 14 days, as well as sex workers of any orientation or gender, are now eligible for the vaccine in San Francisco.
It’s “eerily familiar” to people who remember the early days of HIV/AIDS, said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, one of two LGBTQ members of the board and a vocal advocate for a hearing on monkeypox.
A comparison between the government’s response to monkeypox and that of COVID-19, which he said was handled quickly and successfully after vaccines were available, was also made by Mandelman. He deemed the present monkeypox response “completely inadequate” in light of the current outbreak’s size.
“Abysmal” is how Mandelman describes the federal government’s intention to vaccine 3.5 million people against monkeypox by mid-2023.
Health professionals recommend avoiding close physical contact with someone who is developing a new or unexpected rash or sore in order to limit the risk of transmission of monkeypox. Avoid kissing and other face-to-face contact if you’re having sex while unwell.
Sores should be covered with clothing or bandages if they are present. Intimate objects, such as sex toys and bed linens, should be disinfected before and after each use. Having sex or other personal interaction with a large number of people can raise the danger of being publicly exposed.