Monterey County grapples with limited monkeypox vaccine supply – KSBW Monterey

August 3, 2022 Kim Martel

As demand continues to grow for the monkeypox vaccine, cities and counties across America are grappling with limited supply. Monterey County is no exception. The Monterey County Health Department is limiting vaccination to people who are immunocompromised or who were exposed to the virus and are not symptomatic. The general public cannot get vaccinated as a precautionary measure. Monterey County was allocated 208 vaccine doses but as of July 28, received only 118. The health department says they will expand access once they receive more supply. As of Aug. 2, there are four confirmed cases of monkeypox in Monterey County. Dr. Edward Moreno, the county’s lead health officer says that people who suspect they have monkeypox need to see their doctor. Health providers are required to report the exposure to the county health department. Only then will a person be considered for vaccination. “The data shows that with this outbreak the population that’s the greatest risk right now are men who have sex with men, primarily gay, bisexual men. Other populations are considered much lower risks. Right now we’re really focusing on those individuals,” Moreno said. “As far as the general population, right now that population is not at high risk of monkeypox. Right now the risk is very low.” Sen. John Laird, the first openly gay man to serve as a state legislator, says Moreno’s approach is reminiscent of the response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic. “There was a New York Times editorial in the first years of the HIV crisis in which they said, ‘Don’t worry, it hasn’t reached the general public.’ And that was wrong on a couple of bases. It was implying that people it had reached were chopped liver and not valuing them. But we really found there was a spread into many different population groups,” Laird said. “I have to believe the same thing applies here.” Monkeypox causes rashes and lesions that while often not fatal are extremely painful. The virus spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact that can occur during sex, hugging, massaging and kissing. It can also transmit by touching objects, fabrics and surfaces that were used by someone with monkeypox. Activists and members of the LGBTQ community warn that overly focusing on sex and their community can lead to further stigma. In a tweet, Sen. Scott Weiner, an openly gay man, said, “Lots of sex shaming of gay men around monkeypox. The same shaming we saw in the 1980s re HIV. Lecturing people not to have sex isn’t a public health strategy. it didn’t stop HIV- it made it worse & it won’t stop monkeypox. What will work is vaccination, testing & education.” “You would really hope that people understand the stigma be removed, that people take appropriate steps, and we recognize that this is the early stage. And we have to keep it in the early stage, and if you don’t keep it in the early stage, then they’re might be broader risks,” Laird said. When asked by Action News 8, Moreno says the county health department is actively trying to reduce stigma for the LGBTQ community by monitoring external communication messages but was unable to provide any specifics.

SALINAS, Calif. —

As demand continues to grow for the monkeypox vaccine, cities and counties across America are grappling with limited supply. Monterey County is no exception.

The Monterey County Health Department is limiting vaccination to people who are immunocompromised or who were exposed to the virus and are not symptomatic. The general public cannot get vaccinated as a precautionary measure.

Monterey County was allocated 208 vaccine doses but as of July 28, received only 118. The health department says they will expand access once they receive more supply.

As of Aug. 2, there are four confirmed cases of monkeypox in Monterey County.

Dr. Edward Moreno, the county’s lead health officer says that people who suspect they have monkeypox need to see their doctor. Health providers are required to report the exposure to the county health department. Only then will a person be considered for vaccination.

“The data shows that with this outbreak the population that’s the greatest risk right now are men who have sex with men, primarily gay, bisexual men. Other populations are considered much lower risks. Right now we’re really focusing on those individuals,” Moreno said. “As far as the general population, right now that population is not at high risk of monkeypox. Right now the risk is very low.”

Sen. John Laird, the first openly gay man to serve as a state legislator, says Moreno’s approach is reminiscent of the response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic.

“There was a New York Times editorial in the first years of the HIV crisis in which they said, ‘Don’t worry, it hasn’t reached the general public.’ And that was wrong on a couple of bases. It was implying that people it had reached were chopped liver and not valuing them. But we really found there was a spread into many different population groups,” Laird said. “I have to believe the same thing applies here.”

Monkeypox causes rashes and lesions that while often not fatal are extremely painful. The virus spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact that can occur during sex, hugging, massaging and kissing. It can also transmit by touching objects, fabrics and surfaces that were used by someone with monkeypox.

Activists and members of the LGBTQ community warn that overly focusing on sex and their community can lead to further stigma.

In a tweet, Sen. Scott Weiner, an openly gay man, said, “Lots of sex shaming of gay men around monkeypox. The same shaming we saw in the 1980s re HIV. Lecturing people not to have sex isn’t a public health strategy. it didn’t stop HIV- it made it worse & it won’t stop monkeypox. What will work is vaccination, testing & education.”

“You would really hope that people understand the stigma be removed, that people take appropriate steps, and we recognize that this is the early stage. And we have to keep it in the early stage, and if you don’t keep it in the early stage, then they’re might be broader risks,” Laird said.

When asked by Action News 8, Moreno says the county health department is actively trying to reduce stigma for the LGBTQ community by monitoring external communication messages but was unable to provide any specifics.