Philadelphia' s monkeypox response restricted by vaccine supply - Axios PhiladelphiaLog InLog InAxios Philadelphia is an Axios company.

Philadelphia' s monkeypox response restricted by vaccine supply

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Philadelphia, like many other local governments, again finds itself under pressure to ramp up its response to a growing virus outbreak, with a short supply of vaccines. Driving the news: The city unveiled a on the Health Department's website Monday to provide transparency around the number of monkeypox cases and vaccine doses available in the city.The move comes days after local LGBTQ advocates and state representatives raised the alarm on limited vaccine supply at a , calling on federal, state and city leaders to do more. State of play: Philadelphia health officials are distributing doses to individuals exposed and at at five health clinics, including the Mazzoni Center, PhiladelphiaFIGHT and Presbyterian Hospital. Those at high risk who aren't patients at these clinics are encouraged to . But many local clinics are turning away callers who meet the criteria due to the lack of available doses, . The big picture: Cases have been doubling across the U.S. about once a week, , and the push to secure more vaccines may not be enough to prevent shortages for at-risk Americans. Some states that have become hotspots for the outbreak have seen a big disconnect between the number of doses that local health officials say they need and what they've been allotted, an . on Monday joined officials in and the state of in declaring public health emergencies to speed up response to outbreaks. By the numbers: At least 161 monkeypox cases have been reported in Pennsylvania, as of Monday. In Philadelphia, 82 people have tested positive.Philadelphia has requested from the federal government the full amount of vaccine doses it was allocated, according to the . The city has received more than 2,600 doses so far. It's expecting in the coming months, but the Health Department has acknowledged that's not enough, . Between the lines: Like during the early days of COVID-19, public health officials are also facing challenges with how to educate people about the virus, and there appear to be significant holes in the public's understanding.A from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center found that about 20% of Americans are afraid they'll soon contract monkeypox, while half are unsure whether it's less contagious than COVID (it is).Two-thirds said they either don't think there's a monkeypox vaccine or are unsure, according to the survey. What to watch: The Biden administration has been considering whether to declare a public health emergency to make more resources available to respond to the outbreak.Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra last week for such action, but said the federal agency is monitoring the country's response. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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