Los Angeles records 22 monkeypox cases after Pride events as health officials say outbreak is running rampant among gay community.
‘Anyone can get and spread monkeypox, but some of the recent cases identified have been among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who attended large events where the exposure to monkeypox may have occurred,’ said Los Angeles Department of Public Health in a statement.
The warning comes after a month of Pride celebrations in the city that included Pride in the Park on June 11, a concert that attracted over 20,000 people and included a performance from Christina Aguilera as well as the city’s parade which occurred on June 12.
According to the Los Angeles Times, thousands of people lined the city’s streets to celebrate the return of the parade following a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19.
As of June 2, there were just three cases of monkeypox in all of California, NBC News said at the time.
There are now 51 reported monkeypox cases in California and 199 cases nationwide, according to the CDC.
LA is now offering the JYNNEOS vaccine to ‘individuals at a higher risk of monkeypox.’
JYNNEOS is a vaccine used to treat smallpox and monkeypox that was first approved for use in the US by the Federal Drug Administration in 2019.
New York City began a rollout of the vaccine in preparation for their Pride celebrations this past Thursday. There are 35 reported cases in New York state.
Reporting from The Daily Mail.
