New York City joins state in declaring public health emergency to address spread of monkeypox outbreak
NEW YORK -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that there are more than 5,000 cases of monkeypox across the U.S., including about one-quarter in New York.
As CBS2's Jessica Moore reported Monday, leaders across the Tri-State Area are scrambling to secure more vaccines while also reassuring people that the situation is under control.
With 1,300 confirmed cases of monkeypox in New York City, and an estimated 150,000 New Yorkers exposed, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday declared a state of emergency over the virus, which allows him to suspend local laws and enact rules, as necessary, to protect the well-being and health of all city residents.
"We are pivoting and shifting based on the crises that are coming to our city and our country," Adams said.
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City leaders have been widely criticized for the insufficient vaccine rollout, which has left thousands of people scrambling to get appointments and lining city blocks trying to get a shot.
"Dropped the ball? No. We received fewer vaccines than we deserved. We advocated to have direct communication with the White House to navigate challenges. We got to take this over and get it right," Adams said.
READ MORE: Officials concerned U.S. is making same mistakes addressing monkeypox as it did COVID-19
In Westchester County, vaccines are available by appointment only on Mondays and Wednesdays at the White Plains clinic.
"Monkeypox is front and center. Monkeypox has grown in its presence in Westchester County. We now have 40 confirmed cases," County Executive George Latimer said.
"The county is providing Monday and Wednesday. We're providing Thursday, so wherever you can get the vaccine, get the vaccine!" added Judy Troilo of The LOFT, an LGBT center in White Plains.
Vaccine clinics opened Monday in Connecticut, where 33 cases of the virus have been confirmed.
When asked if officials are doing enough to protect the population against monkeypox and make sure that everyone who needs to get vaccinated can, David Kilmnick, president of the LGBT Network, said, "The government is not going enough right now and we need more vaccines immediately."
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal is pushing the White House to employ the Defense Production Act to increase vaccine production across the country.
"We can't wait. We need it now. The federal government has the raw material for about 11 million doses. We should put those raw materials to work right away through the Defense Production Act and make sure the vaccine is available," Blumenthal said.
Advocates say it's not just making the shots available, but being intentional about where they're available.
"We want the vaccines at the LGBT Center," Kilmnick said. "Right now, they're only offered at the mall and some hospitals, but with the stigma that exists around LGBT people in general but around health care for us, people were saying, I don't want to go to the mall. I don't want to go to next to Macy's to get my monkey buckshot, where someone's going to look at me funny."
So far, New York has received fewer than 200,000 doses of the vaccine.
The White House says it expects to have roughly 1.2 million doses available by the end of 2022, which many fear will be too little too late.