Fauci: Gay men should be among first to get monkeypox vaccine

There are 211 confirmed monkeypox cases in Georgia as of Friday

Monkeypox could spread , beyond specific communities, , WHO warns.The World Health Organization issued the warning July 25.It comes as cases of monkeypox continue to increase rapidly in several parts of the world.According to Dr. Catherine Smallwood of the WHO, the cases have mostly affected men who have sex with other men.At the moment, cases continue to be reported among men who have sex with men for the most part, but we should not expect that to remain as such, Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO emergency officer, via CNBCC.This really might be the canary in the mine that’s alerting to us a new disease threat that could spread to other groups, Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO emergency officer, via CNBCC.The WHO recently classified the global monkeypox outbreak as a "public health emergency of international concern.".We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, via CNBCC.For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, via CNBCC.Smallwood reiterated that as the virus spreads, so too does its impact on the public.If it does spread to other groups — particularly to people who are vulnerable to severe monkeypox disease (...) — , Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO emergency officer, via CNBCC.... then we might see increased public health impact, Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO emergency officer, via CNBCC.She also stated there currently is not enough data about vaccines, and that such data is crucial.We don’t have full information on how effective and how efficacious these vaccines are against monkeypox, Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO emergency officer, via CNBCC.We need to be able to be confident that the countermeasures that are available and potentially accessible are scaled up, Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO emergency officer, via CNBCC

Men who have sex with men should be among the first group to receive the monkeypox vaccine, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday.

“It’s therefore essential that all countries work closely with communities of men who have sex with men to design and deliver effective information and services, and to adopt measures that protect the health, human rights and dignity of affected communities,” he said, as reported by Newsweek.

The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox virus a global health emergency as it continues to spread. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nearly 17,000 cases as of July 22.

On Friday, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed 211 monkeypox cases in the state, all among men, and with the vast majority living in metro Atlanta, Helena Oliviero of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Although anyone can contract monkeypox, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Saturday, this outbreak appears to affect men who have sex with men, and especially those with multiple partners.

During an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, Fauci said: “If you look at the truly broad protective nature, you really want to get people who are at risk because of behavior. For example, the MSM (men who have sex with men) population who are on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV—the very fact that they are on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV would immediately put them into that classification where they very likely should get vaccinated in a preventive way.

“So there are two pills to that; one in which you know you’ve been exposed — clearly those people — but ultimately, people who are at risk through sexual networks or what have you.”

Paul Hunter, a professor of health protection at the Norwich School of Medicine at the University of East Anglia in the U.K., agreed, but wants to take it step further.

He told Newsweek last week “he was concerned about a risk of transmission in heterosexual networks as well and that he personally would want to see vaccines being given to female sex workers, too.”