Monkeypox: US experts issue warning amid limited vaccines and testing

As health authorities in the US warn that monkeypox must be taken more seriously, at-risk communities still face a limited supply of vaccines and lack of access to testing, while those contracting the virus in the US have struggled to receive treatment.

We have to take this seriously. Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden's top medical adviser, said on CNN that they don't know the scope and potential of it yet, but they have to act like it will have the ability to spread more widely than it is right now.

The window for getting control of this and containing it probably has closed according to Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner. It is beginning to close if it hasn't closed yet.

According to the CDC, there were 1,814 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the US. The need for testing was stressed by Fauci and Gottlieb.

The data was probably an undercount according to Fauci. He told CNN that when there is a emergence of something like this, it is important to get the testing out there.

Gottlieb said that the authorities are likely to detect a fraction of cases. There are cases outside of the community of men who have sex with men who are tested for STDs. Gottlieb said that they weren't picking them up because they weren't looking there.

According to the New York state health department, anyone can get monkeypox, even if they don't have a sexual relationship. Men who have sex with men are being affected by monkeypox more than other people.

More than 132,000 doses of vaccine against monkeypox have been taken out of the US strategic stockpile and sent across the country, but health authorities estimate that more than 1.5 million US residents are eligible for this two-dose vaccine.

Almost 7 million doses have been ordered by the US, but the majority won't arrive for months, leaving many at risk.

The number of people who need vaccine to protect themselves is not enough in New York City. The city has seen more monkeypox cases than any other US city.

There are many barriers in accessing care for monkeys. It took him nine hours to get a test, according to Gabriel.

After returning home, he didn't get a phone call with his results, but he did get a prescription for pain medication.

He told the newspaper that it was the worst pain he had ever experienced.