Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
WHO Underlines Monkeypox Could Easily Spread To Other Social Groups
The Hill: WHO: No Guarantee Monkeypox Won’t Spread Beyond Specific Communities
The global outbreak of monkeypox should not be expected to stay confined to specific groups, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday. Though cases of the virus have been predominantly reported among men who have sex with men, diseases commonly begin in one community before spreading to others. (Mueller, 7/25)
The Washington Post: Biden Administration Weighs Declaring Monkeypox A Health Emergency
The Biden administration is weighing whether to declare the nation’s monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency and also plans to name a White House coordinator to oversee the response as officials attempt to keep the virus from becoming entrenched in the United States. (Diamond, 7/25)
In news on monkeypox vaccines —
The New York Times: As Monkeypox Spread In New York, 300,000 Vaccine Doses Sat In Denmark
... But there was a catch: There were only 1,000 doses available. Within two hours, the only clinic offering the shots began turning people away. At that same moment, some 300,000 doses of a ready-to-use vaccine owned by the United States sat in a facility in Denmark. American officials had waited weeks as the virus spread in New York and beyond before deciding to ship those doses to the United States. (Goldstein and Otterman, 7/25)
The Washington Post: D.C. Shifts Monkeypox Vaccine Policy To Focus On First Dose
D.C. public health officials are shifting the city’s monkeypox vaccine strategy, using its limited stock of vaccine to give out first doses to the most at-risk population instead of reserving shots for the second dose of the two-shot regimen. The strategy, announced Monday, means the District will rely on the federal government to provide enough shots for second doses, according to a statement from the D.C. Department of Health. (Portnoy, 7/25)
Houston Chronicle: Houston-Area Leaders Call For More Monkeypox Vaccine Doses Amid Nationwide Shortage
There are 57 reported cases in the Houston area, including 10 in unincorporated Harris County. The Houston area recently received just over 5,000 doses of the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine from the state, but demand still far exceeds supply, health officials say. A two-dose series, administered four weeks apart, is required for full vaccination. (Gill, 7/25)
San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Monkeypox Vaccine Clinic Runs Out Of Vaccine Supply
The monkeypox vaccine clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, one of the main public vaccination sites in the city, will close Tuesday due to lack of vaccine supply, the San Francisco Public Health Department said Monday. (Ho, 7/25)
On how the maker of the only approved vaccine will ramp-up supply —
Bloomberg: Monkeypox Vaccine Maker Bavarian Nordic Considers 24-Hour Emergency Production
Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with a vaccine approved for monkeypox, said it’s preparing to run production through the night to meet surging demand after the virus outbreak was declared a global emergency. (Wienberg, 7/25)
