Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Blood Donors Will Be Screened For Monkeypox At Red Cross
Stat: Red Cross Beginning To Screen Blood Donors For Monkeypox
As monkeypox continues its relentless spread around the globe, organizations in the U.S. are taking steps to safeguard the nation’s blood supply. In addition to temperature checks that are part of standard health screens for prospective donors, the American Red Cross is now checking for the distinctive lesions that are a hallmark of the disease as part of routine arm examinations. And beginning in October, the Red Cross will require individuals who have been diagnosed with monkeypox or exposed to someone with a monkeypox infection to wait at least 21 days before giving blood. (Molteni, 8/3)
More on the spread of monkeypox —
Fox News: Fifth Child Tests Positive For Monkeypox In US
At least five children have tested positive for monkeypox in the U.S. since July. Four of the children who have been confirmed to have the disease are U.S. citizens, with two in California and two in Indiana. The final case was an infant who was tested while traveling through Washington, D.C. but is not a U.S. resident, according to ABC 7. (Hagstrom, 8/3)
CIDRAP: WHO: US Has Biggest Jump In Monkeypox Cases
In the last week of July, the United States saw the largest spike in cases, the WHO said. All told, 83 countries have reported 23,351 laboratory-confirmed cases. Together 10 countries account for 89% of the world's cases, including the United States (5,175 cases), Spain (4,298), Germany (2,677), the United Kingdom (2,546), France (1,955), Brazil (1,369), the Netherlands (879), Canada (803), Portugal (633), and Italy (479). (Soucheray, 8/3)
Fox News: Public Health Emergency Declared In San Diego Over Monkeypox
Two days after California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health emergency over monkeypox, San Diego County on Tuesday followed suit. The declaration was made, according to San Diego County health officer Dr. Wilma Wooten, due to the limited supply of vaccines, the large population of the city, and the global spread of the viral disease. However, health officials told the public that the outbreak was "fundamentally different" from the COVID-19 pandemic. (Nieto, 8/3)
Politico: DeSantis Claims Concern Over Monkeypox Is Overblown
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday attempted to downplay anxiety over monkeypox, saying that politicians and the media have overblown the severity of the disease and equated it to fears surrounding Covid-19. Florida had 525 monkeypox infections as of Tuesday, according to a state database, which is an increase from the roughly 350 infections from late last week. Florida had the fifth highest number of cases in the nation as of Monday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Sarkissian, 8/3)
KHN: A California Man’s ‘Painful And Terrifying’ Road To A Monkeypox Diagnosis
Two days after Kevin Kwong flew home to California from New York, his hands itched so badly, the pain jolted him from sleep. He thought the problem was eczema. “Everything started rapidly getting worse,” the Emeryville, California, resident said. “I started to get more spots, on my face, more redness and they started leaking fluid. The rash expanded to my elbows and my hands and my ankles.” It took Kwong, 33, six virtual appointments with doctors and nurses, one call to a nurse hotline, a trip to an urgent care clinic, two emergency room visits, and two incorrect diagnoses before an infectious disease specialist diagnosed him with monkeypox in early July. (Fortier, 8/4)
On monkeypox vaccines and treatments —
The New York Times: U.S. Could Have Had Many More Doses Of Monkeypox Vaccine This Year
The shortage of vaccines to combat a fast-growing monkeypox outbreak was caused in part because the Department of Health and Human Services failed early on to ask that bulk stocks of the vaccine it already owned be bottled for distribution, according to multiple administration officials familiar with the matter. By the time the federal government placed its orders, the vaccine’s Denmark-based manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic, had booked other clients and was unable to do the work for months, officials said — even though the federal government had invested well over $1 billion in the vaccine’s development. (LaFraniere, Weiland and Goldstein, 8/3)
ABC News: Moderna Considering Creating An MRNA Monkeypox Vaccine Amid Growing Demand For Shots
Amid growing concerns over the potential threat of monkeypox, executives from Moderna said Wednesday they have initiated a research program to consider whether the company could create a monkeypox vaccine with mRNA technology. "We're obviously very aware of the monkeypox concern and obviously very sensitive to recent announcements," Moderna President Stephen Hoge said during an investor call. (Mitropoulos, 8/3)
Stat: With Monkeypox Vaccine In Demand, NIH To Test Ways To Stretch Supplies
As the monkeypox outbreak continues to grow, one thing seems abundantly clear. The global need for monkeypox vaccine outstrips the supply, and will likely continue to do so for quite some time. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health are getting ready to explore a possible work-around. They are putting the finishing touches on the design of a clinical trial to assess two methods of stretching available doses of Jynneos, the only vaccine in the United States approved for vaccination against monkeypox. (Branswell, 8/4)
Axios: Alternate Monkeypox Treatment Caught In Regulatory Delays
Fears about shortages of monkeypox vaccine are focusing attention on the more than 1 million doses of a smallpox treatment in the Strategic National Stockpile that experts say could be an effective backup but that's hard to access. (Dreher, 8/4)
