Dr. Jeffrey Klausner talked to John & Ken today about the monkeypox outbreak in LA County and why vaccines are not being expanded effectively. Dr. Klausner is an infectious disease specialist at USC's Keck School of Medicine.
Los Angeles County health officials expanded access to monkeypox vaccines on Monday, July 11, but the limited supply of doses means they will only be provided to high-risk residents who are specifically contacted by the Department of Public Health.
As of Monday, there were 60 probable and confirmed monkeypox cases in the county, up from 54 on Friday and double the amount from a week ago. But public health officials insisted during an online briefing Friday that the risk of infection in the general population remains extremely low.
News of additional cases has prompted some calls for expanded access to the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine, which remains in limited supply. The county had already administered its supply of roughly 1,000 doses of the vaccine, which is actually a two-dose regimen.
Andrea Kim, director of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Control and the county Department of Public Health, said the county has received another 6,000 doses, allowing a slight expansion of eligibility. That occurred Monday, but the shots are still only being offered to people deemed at high risk by the county.