Los Angeles health officials warn of monkeypox outbreak spreading among gay men as cases rise to 22 - Daily Mail

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.

New York City began a rollout of the vaccine in preparation for their Pride celebrations this past Thursday.

Worldwide, health officials have already warned that there is a spike in monkeypox cases in male gay and bisexual communities. .

Following the celebration, health officials warned that recent cases in the city 'identified have been among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who attended large events'.

Similar to New York City, the city of Los Angeles is offering the JYNNEOS vaccine to 'individuals at a higher risk of monkeypox'.

In May 2022, Andy Seale, a strategies adviser with the World Health Organization, was quoted as saying that it's important for people to celebrate Pride events as normal.

He said: 'It's important that people who want to go out and celebrate gay pride, LGBTQ+ pride, to continue to go and plan to so.' .

'We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission,' said Heymann. 

Just a few days before Pride events kicked off in New York City, 'at risk' gay and bisexual men were offered the vaccine

'All Americans should be concerned about monkeypox cases', said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement. 

'I am deeply concerned about the monkeypox outbreak, this is clearly an evolving health threat that my colleagues and I in the WHO Secretariat are following extremely closely,' Tedros said

New York City health chiefs were blasted for their 'last minute' roll out of monkeypox vaccines just two days before the city's Pride weekend Friday — as scores of walk-ins were turned away on the second day of inoculations.   

No deaths have been recorded amid the 2022 outbreak, but health officials warn it could spill over into more vulnerable populations if the outbreak is not contained