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SF's LGBTQ Advocates Say Monkeypox Vaccines Not Enough for Growing Demand

Thousands of people who attended two dance parties during San Francisco’s Pride celebrations were notified that they may have been exposed to monkeypox after someone at the events tested positive.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health said it’s now received 2,000 new doses of the vaccine this week, but LGBTQ advocates said that’s not enough for the growing demand.

“We opened a hotline to answer questions and concerns and in its first day we received over 500 phone calls and now we have over 300 individuals on our waiting list,” said Dr. Tyler TerMeer, CEO of SF AIDS Foundation. 

He said their staff at the Strut Health Clinic in Castro would like to distribute more vaccines, they just don’t have enough.

“San Francisco AIDS Foundation has received fewer than 100 doses of vaccine. And if we were truly to fully vaccinate all those who are coming to our clinic, we would need something like 6,000 doses,” said TerMeer.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, UCSF professor of infectious diseases, said they’ve already started treating some more serious cases with patients having painful lesions and blisters.

“First in the genital area, but when it gets extensive it moves from the genital area to the mouth, face, arms, hands and sometimes the trunk,” he said.

The federal government is still ramping up production of the vaccine which has even proven effective at helping those who are already infected and at preventing future infections.

According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, there are 40 suspected or confirmed cases in the city.

This week, the department of public health received 2,300 vaccine doses from the federal government.

And because California and San Francisco are seeing rising case counts, we’re a high priority to get more doses.

Labcorp, a national testing company, also announced plans to offer PCR testing for monkeypox.

Because there are more large community events in San Francisco on the horizon, there’s some urgency to get a lot more people vaccinated sooner and some concern about stigmatizing the LGBTQ community in this outbreak.

Dr. Chin-Hong said anyone can get monkeypox.

“We’re trying to nip it in the bud right now in the gay community because that’s where the current outbreak is,” he said. “But in 2003, in the United States we also had an outbreak, but that was in pet owners.”


Source: NBC Bay Area

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