In the spring and summer of 2022, Monkeypox began spreading among gay men in Europe and North America.
Now the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] has issued a new warning for homosexual men, just in time for what the White House has dubbed “LGBTQ+ Pride Month.”
The most recent cluster of Monkeypox infections is in Chicago. Thirteen Chicagoans have tested positive for Monkeypox in late April and early May. All thirteen are male and range in age from 24–46. Four had traveled recently. The destinations include New York City, New Orleans, and Mexico.
Two of the newly infected people in Chicago had already taken two doses of the JYNNEOS Smallpox/Monkeypox vaccine.
The CDC says most infections occur among “men who have sex with men.” While the disease can be spread by any close contact, the CDC states that the current global outbreak is “almost exclusively associated with sexual contact.” The CDC credits the proliferation of the JYNNEOS vaccine among high-risk population groups for bringing about a steep decline in the disease over the winter.
The Chicago Department of Public Health [CDPH] says they are specifically working with the organizers of upcoming homosexual events to fight the spread.
