GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to an announcement from the federal government adding 2.5 million more doses of the monkeypox virus (MPV) vaccine JYNNEOS to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) over the next year, with an additional 131,000 doses immediately available, and nearly 800,000 more doses available in the coming weeks.
Demand for vaccinations in New York City and other areas has far exceeded current capacity, leading local elected officials to call for more vaccines, testing, and treatment. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today it placed an order for an additional 2.5 million doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine to respond to the current MPV outbreak and strengthen the nation’s smallpox preparedness. HHS also announced an additional 131,000 doses just arrived and will be immediately available to states and jurisdictions.
The news follows the latest White House briefing for LGBTQ advocates held on Thursday. The briefing featured Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID Czar; Harold Phillips, National AIDS Policy Director; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention; John Brooks, CDC epidemiologist; and DaShawn Usher, Director, Communities of Color at GLAAD. Attendees included LGBTQ advocates who can share information about MPV and the MPV vaccine to followers and networks.
“News of additional MPV vaccine doses becoming available is welcome and urgently needed,” said DaShawn Usher, GLAAD’s Director, Communities of Color. “As we saw with HIV, COVID-19, and now MPV, discrimination, disinformation, racism and systemic breakdowns in the healthcare system continue to challenge LGBTQ Americans’ health as well as public health and safety, especially for LGBTQ people of color. All people are susceptible to MPV but it showed up early in LGBTQ communities, resulting in additional stigma for us. We must keep our community safe and informed.”
