Fauci Says Gay Men Should Get Monkeypox Vaccine First
Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president, has said men who have sex with men (MSM) should be among those prioritized for the monkeypox vaccine in the United States.Monkeypox continues to spread around the world, with nearly 17,000 cases reported globally as of July 22, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the weekend, the virus was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).The surge in monkeypox cases has caused concern since it marks the first time the virus has ever spread significantly outside of West and Central Africa, where it is endemic.It's possible for anyone to catch monkeypox, though one feature of the current outbreak is that cases have been concentrated among men who have sex with men, and particularly those who have multiple sexual partners, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday."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 added.Part of the global strategy to control monkeypox will be with the use of vaccines.
The U.S. had distributed nearly 200,000 doses of as of last Wednesday.During an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, Dr Fauci was asked whether MSM communities should be given the vaccine first.
He said he thought that this should be the case."If you look at the truly broad protective nature, you really want to get people who are at risk because of behavior.
