Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
WHO Renames Monkeypox Variants, Seeks Replacement Name
The Hill: WHO Renames Two Monkeypox Variants To Avoid Geographic References
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Saturday that it renamed variants of the virus monkeypox as it looks to counter concerns about the original naming conventions. “Newly identified viruses, related diseases & virus variants are given names to avoid causing offence to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional, or ethnic groups, & minimize the negative impact on trade, travel, tourism, or animal welfare,” the WHO said in its announcement. (Mueller, 8/14)
Bloomberg: Monkeypox Virus: WHO Asks Public To Submit New Name Ideas In Online Portal
The World Health Organization is asking for the public’s help in renaming the monkeypox virus, part of an ongoing effort to discourage harmful misconceptions associated with the current name. “WHO is holding an open consultation for a new disease name for monkeypox. Anyone wishing to propose new names can do so,” the organization said in a statement. (Muller, 8/12)
On the monkeypox vaccine rollout —
The New York Times: ‘Frustration And Stress’: State Officials Fault Rollout Of Monkeypox Vaccine
Roughly 5,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine intended for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., left the national stockpile’s warehouse in Olive Branch, Miss., on July 19. They somehow ended up in Oklahoma. Then Tennessee. Then Mississippi again. Then, finally, Florida. In Idaho, a shipment of 60 vaccine doses disappeared and showed up six days later, refrigerated rather than frozen, as needed. Another 800 doses sent to Minnesota — a significant portion of the state’s total allotment — were unusable because the shipment was lost in transit for longer than the 96-hour “viability window.” (Mandavilli, 8/15)
Fox News: COVID Sites In NYC Transition To Respond To Monkeypox Virus
New York City will transition some of its COVID-19 vaccination sites for children under the age of 5 next week. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene cited a recent decrease in demand for the sites, as well as greater access to coronavirus vaccines. (Musto, 8/12)
CalMatters: California Monkeypox: Bumpy Response In State With 2nd Highest Number Of Cases
“What we learned from COVID is that speed is everything. When we look at the response of monkeypox later on, we’ll see speed is the main thing we take issue with,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco and member of the state’s scientific advisory committee for monkeypox. (8/14)
Detroit Free Press: Michigan Monkeypox Cases Quadruple In 3 Weeks. What You Need To Know
Dave Garcia couldn't get a dose of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine before he left Michigan for vacation at the end of June. Supply was so limited, even people at high risk for contracting the virus weren't able to get it. The federal government was distributing Jynneos from the Strategic National Stockpile only to states with outbreaks, and Michigan's first known case wasn't identified until June 29. (Jordan Shamus and Hall, 8/14)
The story behind Tpoxx —
Stat: A Monkeypox Drug Was Approved Under The 'Animal Rule.' STAT Explains
Take a look at the list of conditions that have treatments available thanks to what’s known as the “Animal Rule” and you’ll see a rogues’ gallery of plagues you hope never see the light of day. There’s smallpox, anthrax, and, well, the actual plague. (Joseph, 8/15)
More on the spread of monkeypox —
Vox: Why Monkeypox Is A Repeat Of The Data Mistakes Made With Covid-19
The US declared monkeypox a public health emergency this month, but the decision may have come too late. Though states are now required to report cases, and commercial labs have an approved test, a testing bottleneck persists, and cases — which passed 10,000 confirmed cases this week — are likely still being underreported. Any effective public health response to an infectious disease is dependent on having accurate data. If the virus spreads to other populations, such as college dorms — where cases have already been reported — the testing bottleneck could ultimately make it impossible to contain the spread. Reliable demographic information is key to making the right choices for allocating limited tests and vaccines. (Dixon-Luinenburg, 8/14)
San Diego Union-Tribune: For Monkeypox, San Diego LGBTQ Community Turns To Old Lessons
Four decades after a very different health crisis put a spotlight on the gay community, some San Diegans feel as though they’ve been time-warped back to the 1980s. They’re also calling on the support networks they have built since. “Monkeypox has certainly transported me back to a time where I was scared for my life — not only because of AIDS, but because of the stigmas that came with it,” said Craig Bertrand. (Alvarenga and Wilkens, 8/14)
The Washington Post: Colleges Warn Students About Monkeypox Risk As Fall Term Approaches
One by one, cases of the painful viral infection popped up this summer at George Washington, Georgetown and American universities. Now these schools in the nation’s capital and others across the country are warning their communities to be on guard against the potential spread of monkeypox in the coming weeks when students return to campus for the fall term. (Anderson, 8/13)
Politico: Monkeypox May Be Here To Stay
It may be too late to stop monkeypox from circulating in the U.S. permanently. The Biden administration was caught off-guard when the CDC confirmed monkeypox in a Massachusetts man on May 18. It was part of the first major outbreak outside parts of Africa where the virus is endemic, an unusual event that quickly spun into a global health crisis. ... Epidemiologists, public health officials and doctors now fear the government cannot eliminate the disease in that community, and they’re warning that they are running out of time to stop the virus from spreading in the U.S. population more broadly. (Mahr, Messerly and Foley, 8/14)
