NBC NewYork
New York City will start offering the monkeypox vaccine, as the city accounts for more than 20% of the total cases nationwide
New York City began offering vaccination against monkeypox to at-risk groups on Thursday, as authorities scramble to contain a global outbreak. But demand was so high, within hours of launching the program the city had to cut off walk-in appointments, and scheduled visits were already booked through early next week. As opposed to the early days of COVID, when there was no effective treatment, there are already multiple vaccines that work against the orthopoxvirus that causes the ailment. Supply, however, is the question. Some 30 people have tested positive for the virus in the city since early May, almost all of them men who have sex with men, and the number of cases has risen 60% in just the last week. In total New York City represents more than 20% of all cases diagnosed nationwide. The move to offer the vaccine follows similar efforts in cities like Montreal and Toronto. The Health Department on Thursday announced the opening of a temporary clinic to administer the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine to eligible people who may have had recent exposure to monkeypox, the city announced. The vaccines will be administered at the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic (303 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan). The clinic will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. moving forward. But as of 2 p.m. Thursday, just three hours after opening its doors, the city said no more walk-ins would be accommodated and that all appointments were filled through Monday. News 4 counted more than 100 people lined up outside the clinic at the time.
