San Francisco: State of Emergency Declared Amid Rising Monkeypox Cases, Poor Vaccine Rollout

The City of San Francisco in California has declared a state of emergency amid rising monkeypox cases all over the country.

With almost 5,000 recorded cases nationwide, San Francisco alone has tallied staggering 261 cases, which is 30% of all the cases in California.

The national response to the growing threat of monkeypox has been receiving flak over the low number of vaccine shots available to the public.

The city has only received less than 24% of its requested jabs for vulnerable residents.

San Francisco City Declares Monkeypox State of Emergency

Considered the 17th most populous city in the United States, San Francisco has finally declared a state of emergency after being declared the epicenter of the monkeypox virus in the country.

San Francisco is declaring a local public health emergency for monkeypox.

"This declaration will go into effect starting August 1 and will allow us to prepare and dedicate resources to prevent the spread," San Francisco City Mayor London Breed announced on Twitter.

The Epoch Times reported that The Golden City had tallied at least 280 cases, including probable ones, among the estimated 800 overall cases in California as of this writing.

Per Mayor Breed, the declaration of a state of emergency is documentation that legally allows city authorities to further "mobilize resources, streamline staffing, and coordinate agencies" to curb the virus.

Among the key aspects that San Francisco is focusing on is the rollout of the monkeypox vaccine, primarily in the LGBTQ+ sector, which a recent study finds more susceptible to the virus.

San Francisco Monkeypox Vaccine Rollout Among LGBTQ+

This Tuesday, the city closed down its primary monkeypox vaccination clinic after running out of vaccine shots, as reported by The San Francisco Chronicle.

Apparently, it had only received 7,800 (23.43%) of its requested 35,000 jabs from the federal government.

To ensure that more people will get the vaccine shot, the city has prioritized giving one dose to all and delaying those needing the second shot until the supply eases.

The City of New York and the United Kingdom were the first to initiate the same strategy, considering the shortage of vaccines worldwide.

The nationwide vaccination shortage of Jynneos, the monkeypox vaccine, has been contested by protestors because of the slow rollout and manufacturing.

Leading the forefront of the public outcry against monkeypox vaccination are LGBTQ leaders, whose sector was found to be more susceptible to the Monkeypox virus.

Monkeypox Virus vs Sexually Active Gay Men?

According to a newly-published medical journal of New England Medicine, the majority of the people infected with the Monkeypox virus are gay or bisexual men. The study is the first major peer-reviewed journal on monkeypox.

More so, 95% of those infections are found to be transmitted during sexual activity.

California Senator Scott Weiner reiterated their commitment to curb the infections in the city, saying: "San Francisco was at the forefront of the public health responses to HIV and COVID-19, and we will be at the forefront when it comes to monkeypox. We can't and won't leave the LGTBQ community out to dry."

Last weekend, the World Health Organization declared the Monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency because of the fast-rising worldwide spread of the virus.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ivan Korrs

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