With monkeypox vaccine appointments booked solid, NYC health officials working on greater availability
NEW YORK -- New York City's health commissioner is calling New York "the epicenter" of the country's monkeypox outbreak.
The vaccine is in high demand, but short supply, and New Yorkers say getting one is a challenge. As of Wednesday, the city had more known monkeypox cases than the entire state of California, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported Thursday.
Experts say the disease is troublesome, but treatable and rarely fatal.
"We expect another one-and-a-half million doses over the coming months," said Dr. Raj Panjabi, a top White House health official, in a promise meant to reassure New Yorkers who are lining up for the monkeypox vaccine.
Clinics distributing the monkeypox vaccine opened Thursday in Harlem and Chelsea. Leonardo Rosner managed to snag an appointment.
"I think it's a matter of luck, of being lucky, because they go fast," Rosner said.
READ MORE: Monkeypox awareness rising among male same-sex partners
Nathan Green, who hoped for a walk-in vaccination at the Chelsea clinic, was told to schedule an appointment online.
"I've been checking the website almost hourly for the last four or five says. Lots of rumors going around about appointments being available and then they're not," Green said.
The city received new doses of the vaccine on Wednesday, but appointments were booked within minutes, CBS2's Leah Mishkin reported.
Green said some of his friends decided to travel out of state to get the vaccine.
"I think New York is trying their best. I think they're doing the best they can, but if there's another option that can help me in the meantime, I'm happy to do that," said Green.
The White House said it will take several months to deliver the 4.1 million doses in the pipeline. It's a two-dose vaccine, so that's enough to vaccinate slightly more than 2 million people.
"Our federal partners are working hard to secure doses for this city and across the nation," New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said.
While anyone can get monkeypox, the vaccine is prioritized for the most vulnerable. According to the city, cases are primarily spreading among social networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Thursday, officials were careful to avoid stigmatizing gay sex.
"We're putting out a message that says sex is positive. We are not putting out a message that says don't have sex. We are putting out a message that says take care, be safe, prevent the spread," Vasan said.
"Monkeypox is by and large non-fatal," New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said. "The lesions are painful, they can occur in painful places. We want people to understand that this is something that you don't want to get."
As for the decision to put both of the new clinics in Manhattan, Vasan said: "Seventy-five percent of the known cases in New York City are in Manhattan. One-third of known cases are from Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen."
The city plans to open a third temporary vaccine site in Queens later in July and will continue to assess as vaccine availability improves.
For more information on monkeypox symptoms and how to get a vaccine in the city, click here.