Fears continue to mount that mpox (formerly called monkeypox before the WHO renamed it last November) could be making a return for the summer.
Health officials have recorded eight new cases in Chicago since April 17. According to the LGBTQ+ focussed Howard Brown Health, this compares to just one case in the previous three months.
Both figures could be an under-representation as some people are not diagnosed.
All cases were in gay and bisexual men. Six out of the eight had been fully vaccinated, while one had been partially vaccinated.
The report follows a similar one from France last month. In a cluster of 17 men who acquired Mpox there, 10 reported being fully vaccinated. None of these cases, or those in Chicago, required hospitalization.
There is no specific vaccine for Mpox. However, as the virus is similar to smallpox, the vaccine for that virus offers a large degree of protection from Mpox. The brands Imvanex and Jynneos are used in Europe. In the US, it’s predominantly Jynneos.
No vaccine is perfect, and some vaccinated individuals will still get the disease. However, normally that’s around 25% of all Mpox cases. In the French instance, 59% of the cases were in vaccinated men.
Upcoming Pride and fetish festivals
In the US, health officials are concerned that the approaching summer Pride season could fuel a new surge in mpox.
“We urge sexually active members of our community to receive the mpox vaccine. For example, unvaccinated people planning to attend International Mr. Leather at the end of May should receive their first dose of the mpox vaccination as soon as possible,” said Dr. Patrick Gibbons, Chief Medical Director at Howard Brown Health in a press statement.
“The more people who get vaccinated, the better protected the LGBTQ+ community will be from another outbreak of Monkeypox this year.”
Howard Brown encourages people to check for symptoms of mpox, “such as new bumps, blisters, or rash in the face, trunk, hands, or back.”
Last year’s outbreak resulted in just over 30,000 diagnosed cases in the US and 42 deaths, according to recent CDC data.
If you have never had the mpox vaccine, do talk to a medical advisor about it. Also, if you only ever had one dose of the two-dose regime (usually administered at least four weeks apart), medical authorities stress the importance of getting your second dose to maximize your protection.
Related*
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Kangol2
Here we go again. Sounds like this “vaccine” is ineffective and researchers and pharma need to find a far more EFFECTIVE one! It also sounds like folks may need to be a bit more careful this year like last as Pride rolls around.
Consider This
When it comes to severe illness, other studies show one is far better being vaccinated than unvaccinated.
There are clear Indications mpox will present again in the US. Get vaccinated and significantly reduce the probability of extreme pain and possible hospitalization.
The time for the free mpox vaccine series is NOW.
liquidskyny
Meanwhile OTHER sites are report – “he World Health Organization declared that mpox no longer constitutes a global health emergency on Thursday, almost exactly a year after the disease formerly known as monkeypox started spreading globally.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decision was prompted by sharply falling case numbers worldwide, but emphasised that the disease remains a threat, particularly in areas of Africa where it has long been endemic.”