COUNTY OFFERING ADDITIONAL MONKEYPOX VACCINATION DOSES

Educational effort under way to warn of increased spread

With San Diego County experiencing an increase in monkeypox cases, the county will offer a second round of vaccines Thursday and Friday, this time making 800 doses available.

According to its latest weekly update, the region saw the total number of confirmed and suspected cases increase from 10 to 20 Friday, causing the health department to release a new statement indicating that it “continues to work with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community to develop messaging, education materials and to administer the limited number of vaccines coming to the area.”

“The virus is primarily spreading in gay and bisexual men who have more than one sexual partner or attend sex parties, but anyone who is exposed can get it,” said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, deputy public health officer, in a statement.

“Having intimate contact or anonymous sex with people you meet in dating or hook-up apps increases your risk of contracting the virus. Please ask your partners about recent illnesses or rashes.”

Those who wish to get vaccinated can call 211 to schedule an appointment.

Local public health officials have so far declined to further characterize the demographics of San Diego County cases, citing standard epidemiological practice of keeping such information private when totals are small and could be used to identify individuals.

Max Disposti, founder and executive director of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center, said the county is meeting weekly with his organization and others throughout the region to discuss the monkeypox response.

Efforts must be made, he said in an email, to “make sure our message does not even further stigmatize our LGBTQI community.”

“In fact, while it is true at the moment that the majority of cases has affected people in our LGBTQI community, the spread of this infection can affect everyone that does have physical contact — but not just sexual contact — with anyone of the same or opposite sex or gender,” Disposti said.