With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
LA County Pauses Registration For Monkeypox Vaccine As State Pleads For More Doses
A vial of smallpox/monkeypox vaccine.
(
Joe Raedle
/
Getty Images
)
State health officials and elected leaders are calling on the federal government to ramp up its response to the growing monkeypox outbreak.
A letter from the California Department of Public Health to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes it clear: California needs a lot more monkeypox vaccines. The state has received 19,500 doses and ordered another 25,000 from the National Strategic Stockpile, but the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said the state needs another 600,000 to 800,000 doses just to cover the highest risk populations of gay and bisexual men and transgender people.
On Thursday afternoon, saying they were "at capacity," public health officials in L.A. County paused pre-registration for people seeking the vaccine.
Due to the limited number of vaccines, pre-registration for the monkeypox vaccine has reached capacity and is currently paused. For additional ways to get vaccinated, visit: https://t.co/N9FclVwPEA pic.twitter.com/r82K3p4JFA
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) July 21, 2022
Support for LAist comes from
CDPH reports 356 monkeypox cases in California.
Calls For A National Health Emergency
State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon slammed the federal response while speaking at an LGBTQ health center in L.A. Wednesday.
“Had federal officials shown a stronger will to action, more could have been done to stop the spread just using basic public health methods,” Rendon said. “During recent Pride month activities, thousands of those vaccine doses could have been administered at celebratory events, clinics, LGBTQ bars and gathering places throughout the state. That did not happen, and it enabled this spread.”
Rendon called on the federal government to declare a national public health emergency, which would unlock more federal dollars.
Meanwhile, 12 lawmakers including Redon sent a letter to Gov. Newsom, asking for an emergency budget appropriation to help counties expand their monkeypox testing and vaccination efforts.
Support for LAist comes from
Due to its size, L.A. County receives its own vaccine allotment. County health officials reported receiving 7,400 doses as of last week, and 5,400 shots have been administered. The county expects another 9,800 doses to arrive this week.
(
Al Kamalizad/LAist
)
The monkeypox vaccine consists of two doses given a few weeks apart, so many more shots will be needed to fully vaccinate people.
In L.A. County
Prior to pausing monkeypox vaccine registration, L.A. County officials had expanded monkeypox vaccine eligibility earlier this week to include more high-risk groups, including adult men who have sex with men, who recently had anonymous sex or were diagnosed with gonorrhea or syphilis in the last year
L.A. County Chief Medical Officer Rita Singhal said the outbreak is quickly growing.
“There have been 120 cases of monkeypox identified in L.A. County. This is more than double from when we reported 54 cases just eleven days ago,” she said at a press conference Tuesday.
Support for LAist comes from
People who test positive for monkeypox and their close contacts were already eligible for the shots.
Updated July 21, 2022 at 4:09 PM PDT
This story was updated to include news that L.A. County has had to pause registrations for the monkeypox vaccine.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The historic properties have been sitting vacant for decades and were put on the market as-is, with prices ranging from $750,000 to $1.75 million. -
Users of the century old Long Beach wooden boardwalk give these suggestions to safely enjoy it. -
The Newport Beach City Council approved a new artificial surf park that will replace part of an aging golf course. -
The utility, whose equipment is believed to have sparked the Eaton Fire, says payouts could come as quickly as four months after people submit a claim. But accepting the money means you'll have to forego any lawsuits. -
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high. -
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol.
Best of LAist