Two San Francisco politicians are criticizing the Biden administration for its response to the smallpox outbreak in the US. In a joint statement, Senator Scott Weiner and Assemblyman Matt Haney wrote that the federal government had yet another “public health failure.” “Monkey pox is a growing public health problem in our community. While the virus can infect anyone, it particularly affects gay and bisexual men. We have very little time to contain this epidemic and prevent it from getting out of hand.” out of control and become potentially endemic,” the couple said. “The good news is that we have an effective vaccine that prevents monkeypox,” they continued. “The bad news is that the federal government has once again had a public health failure, this time by failing to order enough doses of vaccines to prepare for this predictable outbreak.” Workers sit outside DC Health’s first smallpox vaccination clinic, which administers the first doses of Jynneos vaccine distributed in the U.S. capital, in Washington, U.S., June 28, 2022. (REUTERS/Gavino Garay) The Senate President and Haney — who represents California’s 17th Assembly — called for a dramatic increase in the supply of available vaccine and rapid distribution to the hardest-hit communities. While experts warn that anyone is at potential risk of infection, the majority of new cases have been seen in gay or bisexual men. In Europe, where cases have exploded, a top World Health Organization (WHO) adviser said in May that monkeypox was likely spread through sexual activity at raves. FRENCH HEALTH ORGANIZATION INDICATES GROUPS AT RISK TO BE VACCINATED AGAINST BLAZE Since then, the United Nations health agency has reported more than 6,000 cases in nearly 60 countries worldwide. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 791 confirmed cases of monkeypox virus and orthopoxvirus in the US In response, the Biden administration ordered doses of Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine. This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virus particles, left, and spherical immature virus particles, right, obtained from a human skin sample associated with the prairie dog outbreak in 2003. Monkey pox, a disease rarely found outside of Africa, has been identified by European and American health authorities in recent days. (Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP) On Thursday, it announced it would make an additional 144,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine available to states and jurisdictions. In early July – following the June Pride events – the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ordered an additional 2.5 million doses. However, slow testing and a lack of supplies have hampered the ability to track the number of cases, and the New York Times notes that the number of monkeypox cases in the US is likely to be much higher. PREDICTION: WHAT IS THE FACE BLINDING CONDITION BRAT PITT SAYS HE HAS There is also the matter of the non-traditional spread of monkeypox, with patients developing only a few genital pox. Monkeypox cases are highest in California and New York. New York’s online system for vaccine appointments experienced a problem last week, and doses were not widely distributed. A man waits for his dose of Jynneos vaccine as the city begins its first monkeypox vaccination campaign in Washington, U.S., June 28, 2022. (REUTERS/Gavino Garay) In the Bay Area and Golden State, cases have also increased, but community and LGBTQIA+ leaders said vaccine shortages are exacerbating the situation. The AIDS Foundation of San Francisco reportedly received only 60 doses of Jynneos, according to SFGate. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The federal government must dramatically increase the supply of the vaccine and distribute it to affected local communities as quickly as possible,” Weiner and Haney urged. “We don’t have time to spare. It’s completely unacceptable that the AIDS Foundation of San Francisco and other community clinics are receiving so few doses,” they added. “We need enough vaccines so that everyone at risk has access.” Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find her on Twitter at @JuliaElenaMusto.
