GLAAD RESPONDS TO NEWS OF ADDITIONAL MONKEYPOX VIRUS (MPV) VACCINE DOSES; RELEASES INFORMATION TO RAISE AWARENESS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC AT LARGE TO STOP THE SPREAD

GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to an announcement from the federal government adding 2.5 million more doses of the monkeypox virus (MPV) vaccine JYNNEOS to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) over the next year, with an additional 131,000 doses immediately available, and nearly 800,000 more doses available in the coming weeks.

GLAAD is also releasing information to LGBTQ advocates and allies to raise awareness about MPV, find resources, and support communities vulnerable to MVP.

Information via share graphics is available on GLAAD social: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgAkwasOGon/ 

https://twitter.com/sarahkateellis/status/1547695001479499777 

GLAAD’s fact sheet on MPV: /MPVfacts 

Demand for vaccinations in New York City and other areas has far exceeded current capacity, leading local elected officials to call for more vaccines, testing, and treatment. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today it placed an order for an additional 2.5 million doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine to respond to the current MPV outbreak and strengthen the nation’s smallpox preparedness. HHS also announced an additional 131,000 doses just arrived and will be immediately available to states and jurisdictions.

The news follows the latest White House briefing for LGBTQ advocates held on Thursday. The briefing featured Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID Czar; Harold Phillips, National AIDS Policy Director; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention; John Brooks, CDC epidemiologist; and DaShawn Usher, Director, Communities of Color at GLAAD. Attendees included LGBTQ advocates who can share information about MPV and the MPV vaccine to followers and networks.

“News of additional MPV vaccine doses becoming available is welcome and urgently needed,” said DaShawn Usher, GLAAD’s Director, Communities of Color. “As we saw with HIV, COVID-19, and now MPV, discrimination, disinformation, racism and systemic breakdowns in the healthcare system continue to challenge LGBTQ Americans’ health as well as public health and safety, especially for LGBTQ people of color. All people are susceptible to MPV but it showed up early in LGBTQ communities, resulting in additional stigma for us. We must keep our community safe and informed.” 

FACTS ABOUT MPV
MPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, or contact with contaminated clothes or linen. The first U.S. cases in the latest outbreak were recorded in May, with data suggesting gay and bisexual men make up a higher number of cases, though limited testing capacity so far has made it difficult to accurately measure cases and spread.

The briefing on Thursday detailed how people can help determine if they are eligible for a vaccine, including whether a person has had:

• Close physical contact with someone who has been diagnosed with MPV
• Been in venues where MPV was known to have spread

GLAAD’s messaging resources about MPV for community members to share includes:

• Symptoms to be aware of, including flu-like fever and cough; lesions and rash
• To check CDC.gov for vaccine eligibility and to stay connected with local health departments to see when and where to get the MPV vaccine

On Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New Yorkers can sign up for text messages to receive alerts about cases, symptoms, spread, and resources for testing and vaccination—by texting “MONKEYPOX” to 81336 or “MONKEYPOXESP” for texts in Spanish. By providing a zip code, New Yorkers can also opt-in for location-based messages.

The CDC has released additional guidance for community members to communicate accurate information and fight stigma about MPV, including:

• Sharing information on what MPV is, how it can spread, and encourages seeking health care if experiencing symptoms including flu-like fever, aches, lesions or rash
   
• Emphasizing anyone can get MPV, and promote it as a public health concern for all

GLAAD released guidance in June for media covering monkeypox and the LGBTQ community, including recommendations to:

• Include LGBTQ voices in any story about LGBTQ people and issues
• Emphasize how transmission of the virus is related to behaviors and proximity to infected people
• Report facts and broader public health information to reach the largest possible audience

GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide, now in its 11th edition, offers guidance for reporting on LGBTQ people and health, COVID-19 and HIV.