KAISER HEALTH NEWS – Meanwhile, in Hawaii, health officials are distributing monkeypox shots to close contacts of people who’ve contracted the virus.
Media outlets report on the rising number of cases across the country, and the world. A report in NBC News covers one man’s painful experience with the illness.
Politico: Technical Bug Bungles New York City’s Monkeypox Vaccine Rollout:
New Yorkers struggled mostly in vain to book appointments for one of the city’s scarce monkeypox vaccines Wednesday in a botched roll-out that the health department is blaming on technological glitches. …
The website was supposed to launch Wednesday afternoon, but some people were able to get access prematurely. It later became inaccessible, and when the city officially opened the portal later in the day, it quickly went down again — prompting frustration, one advocate said. (Eisenberg, 7/6)
Hawaii News Now: Hawaii Distributing Monkeypox Vaccine To Close Contacts, Those At Highest Risk:
Health Department officials said the state has received 357 doses of the vaccine for monkeypox from the federal government so far and is distributing them to close contacts of people who have contracted the virus. The vaccine is also being made available to those at high risk of exposure. Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Nathan Tan told reporters Wednesday that the state has seen six confirmed cases of monkeypox so far amid a nationwide outbreak. All of the cases are linked. (Blair, 7/6)
More on the spread of monkeypox —
AP: Idaho Announces First Probable Monkeypox Case:
The first probable case of monkeypox has been announced in Idaho. The Idaho Division of Public Health and Central District Health on Wednesday said it appears this infection was acquired during travel to a country experiencing a monkeypox outbreak. (7/6)
KXAN Austin: CDC: Texas Monkeypox Case Count Climbs To 20:
The number of monkeypox cases confirmed in Texas climbed to 20, according to the latest data shared by the federal government. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported eight new cases in the state Wednesday on its map tracking infections nationwide. Only one case has been confirmed in Travis County so far, but Austin Public Health shared Tuesday that five others potentially have monkeypox, too. (DuPree, 7/6)
Newsweek: Monkeypox Spread Feared In Texas As Partygoer Diagnosed After Festival:
Dallas County Health and Human Services announced Wednesday it had identified its first locally transmitted case of the virus after an individual tested positive for monkeypox after attending the Daddyland Festival.
Federal public health authorities are reporting the number of monkeypox cases in Texas has risen to 23 as the state and elsewhere see efforts to ramp up testing and vaccinations. The local transmission case involved an out-of-state visitor who was in Dallas to attend Daddyland over the Fourth of July weekend, according to county health officials. The festival’s website describes the event as a four-day dance party at multiple venues. (Thomas, 7/6)
CIDRAP: Global Monkeypox Cases Top 6,000, WHO Says:
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the global outbreak of monkeypox has grown to more than 6,000 cases, with 80% in European countries. …
“Testing remains a challenge, and it’s highly probable that there are a significant number of cases not being picked up,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned during a speech. (Soucheray, 7/6)
NBC News: Lesions, Headaches, Debilitating Pain: Gay Men With Monkeypox Share Their Stories
“The thought of a full three-week quarantine is pretty scary,” said John, 32, a New York City tech worker who believes he contracted monkeypox from a guy he hooked up with during a recent trip to Los Angeles for the city’s Pride events. “I’m just feeling disappointed and bummed out. It was a bummer to miss celebrating Pride” in New York. (Ryan, 7/6)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
