The proportion of monkeypox cases without recent contact with men who have sex with men (MSM) continues to rise in the United States, accounting for one-third of cases, as the virus quietly spreads to other communities. suggests that it is spreading.
Men with recent MSM exposure account for 65.78% of cases as of 20 August. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), down from 72.44% a week ago. Currently, men with no recent contact with MSM account for 27.71% of all cases in the United States, women account for 4.67%, and people with other gender identities account for 1.84% of cases.
Overall, cases in the Americas continue to increase sharply, accounting for 60% of all cases, compared to 38% in Europe. last monthWHO’s European Region is also showing early signs of a decline in infections.
However, access to vaccines against monkeypox is clearly disproportionate. The United States holds nearly 80% of the Jynneos vaccine supply used to combat monkeypox, but only his 35% of the world’s monkeypox cases. According to, most countries do not have access to doses. Citizen analysis on thursday.
“Again, vaccines against epidemics are not available in the vast majority of countries, including African countries that have battled monkeypox for years,” said Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program. says Mr.
He called on the United States to “propose a plan to combat monkeypox worldwide and avoid the tragic missteps of the COVID-19 crisis.”
This analysis compares vaccine access and monkeypox cases in over a dozen countries. This indicates that the United States and many European countries have obtained most of the vaccine, but Africa, where monkeypox is endemic, has never been.
Lack of access to monkeypox vaccine reflects early days of COVID-19
Despite being outspoken about vaccine inequity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization has said little about the lack of access to monkeypox vaccine and its uneven availability.
The difference in this case is that there is only one manufacturer of the monkeypox vaccine, Bavarian Nordic, whose European factory closed in the spring. for renovation.
Officials from the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO Africa Region condemned the unavailability of monkeypox vaccine on the African continent.
In July, Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of the Africa CDC, said the WHO’s urgent declaration of monkeypox as a global public health emergency (PHEIC) and the need to respond to the burgeoning risk in Africa. I called attention to being late.
Countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which have reported multiple deaths from monkeypox, have not received doses and no orders have been secured.
In contrast, the US had 1.1 million doses of vaccine on hand for 16,602 cases as of late August, 22 times more than the EU and UK combined.
U.S. supplies are sufficient to treat each case with 66 doses, and the country has ordered nearly 7 million more doses.
The United States is considered a hotspot for monkeypox, with cases rising in other groups not in contact with MSM, but advocacy groups say that in contrast to the WHO’s goal of eradicating monkeypox, It states that unbalanced access is a disturbing contrast.
“Alarm bells are ringing,” said Zain Rizvi, research director for Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines program.
Rizvi, an expert in drug innovation and access to medicines, said:National policies alone cannot solve the global public health emergency. A global plan is needed to stop this global crisis. “
Image credit: hill/twitter US CDC, Citizens.
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