The U.S. is shifting its monkeypox response efforts to increasingly target hard-hit sexual and racial minority groups that bear the brunt of the country’s outbreak.
The Department of Health and Human Services is launching a pilot program that aims to reach LGBTQ communities of color facing barriers in accessing vaccines, officials said Tuesday. The program will provide shots to help local health departments prioritize small-scale vaccination efforts through relationships with trusted community members.
“Equity is a key pillar in our response, and we recognize the need to put extra resources into the field to make sure we are reaching communities most impacted by the outbreak,” White House monkeypox coordinator Bob Fenton said during in a press call.
The U.S. outbreak, the world’s biggest with some 18,000 cases, is mainly concentrated among men who have sex with men. Still, changing trends show a disproportionate burden on minorities, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Black people who make up 13% of the U.S. population account for about 33% of U.S. monkeypox cases, up from less than 29% in May. About 31% of new cases come from people who identify as Hispanic, who account for a fifth of the U.S. population. Meanwhile, the percentage of cases among White people decreased to 31% as of Aug. 14 from 71% in May.
Health officials plan to use upcoming LGBTQ events and festivals such as Southern Decadence in New Orleans to help close equity gaps. Shots will also be offered at Black Pride in Atlanta and Pridefest in Oakland, California. Health officials noted that the vaccine takes time to take effect and won’t provide protection at the event where it’s administered.
HHS will also send 10,000 vials of Bavarian Nordic A/S’s Jynneos vaccine to cities and states as part of the pilot program to support local community interventions that aim to more effectively reach people of color and the LGBTQ community.
“One of the things we’ve learned from our response to COVID-19 is that it’s important to reach people where they are,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said during the call. “It’s not enough to wait for people to show up at a doctor’s office or a county health department to schedule a vaccination appointment.”
