Hundreds of people received their first dose of the monkeypox vaccine last week at a clinic in Phoenix for LGBTQ people at high risk of contracting the virus.
The vaccination clinic was open to people who identify as gay or bisexual; cis or trans men; and trans women who have intimate or sexual contact with men, multiple anonymous partners, or engage in sex work.
“They were going through people very quickly,” said Taylor Piontek, director of clinical services at the Southwest Center, an LGBTQ+ healthcare clinic in Phoenix. “The process was pretty transparent.” He was among those who received the vaccine at the clinic.
The health service welcomes additional vaccination clinics Wednesdays July 27, August 3 and August 8.
Maricopa County has reported 21 confirmed cases and 14 probable cases of monkeypox to July 22. The United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention have confirmed 29 cases in Arizona and 2,891 across the country. Everyone is susceptible to the virus, but the The CDC said monkeypox has a disproportionate impact on “gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men”.
Although healthcare providers and advocates want to continue to focus on education, awareness and response for LGBTQ people, they are concerned that siled public messaging will lead to additional stigma and increase risk for public health in general.
“It’s important for us to remember that this isn’t just an LGBTQ+ thing,” Piontek said. “It can happen to heterosexual couples or bisexual couples or gender-extended couples.”
Monkeypox is spread through skin-to-skin contact, prolonged face-to-face contact, or contaminated clothing or linens. The disease causes a rash or sores, as well as fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. It lasts about two to four weeks.
The first case of monkeypox in the United States in 2022 emerged on May 18 in Massachusetts, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. The first case in Maricopa County was announced in early June.
The tests became available in Maricopa County from July 13 to Quest Diagnosis, LabCorp, and Mayo Clinic Laboratorieswith results returning within two to three days.
The local response to the virus has been limited due to national tensions over vaccine supplies. The US Department of Health and Human Services reported distributing nearly 200,000 vaccines nationwide in recent weeks and is preparing another 800,000 vaccines for delivery this summer.
When the first case was reported in Arizona, the Maricopa County Public Health Department received 100 doses of the vaccine and then an additional 334 doses that were used for those exposed to the virus, according to Sonia Singh, spokeswoman for the agency.
Maricopa County is one of the few entities with access to the monkeypox vaccine. The department recently received 1,200 doses for distribution in Maricopa, Pinal, Gila and La Paz counties, which prompted the recent clinics.
Hundreds of doses of a monkeypox vaccine were distributed at a clinic in Phoenix for LGBTQ people on July 21.
Matt Hennie
“A virus that anyone could catch”
Piontek said the Southwest Center has yet to see a patient with an active or probable case of monkeypox. But he has briefed his staff on the protocol for handling potential cases and plans to secure vaccines in the future.
Piontek added that the center, along with other LGBTQ health organizations and foundations, have also been involved in raising awareness and education about the virus.
Jimmy Thomason, executive director of Aunt Rita’s Foundation, an organization that raises funds and connects HIV agencies across the state, said it was important to focus on those most affected, but he is particularly concerned about the increased stigmatization of LGBTQ people, especially given the current political climate. .
“Gay marriage is considered such a scourge by so many that Congress in 2022 will vote on whether a man can marry a man,” Thomason said. “At the same time, you were telling them to limit multiple partners. It’s like telling someone to quit smoking, but you still don’t deserve the fresh air.
Thomason stressed the importance of inclusive language when talking about monkeypox, such as using the pronouns “we” and “we.”
“We’re talking about a virus that anyone could catch,” he said.
Equality Arizona, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy and policy organization, is keeping a close eye on monkeypox. Jeanne Woodbury, director of policy and communications at the nonprofit, said it was important to focus on the medical aspects of how transmission works rather than the social aspects of those who are currently most affected.
“It’s really dangerous, not just for gay and bisexual men, members of the MSM community, but it’s dangerous for people outside of that, if the perception is that you can only get that if you’re a gay man,” Woodbury said.
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