Second day of long lines for monkeypox vaccine at Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic
NEW YORK -- There were more long lines for monkeypox vaccines in New York City on Friday, one day after the city confirmed at least 30 cases locally.
The Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic opened at 11 a.m., but the line for a vaccine started forming outside about three hours earlier, CBS2's Elijah Westbrook reported.
"I think everyone is just really scared because we all know what an epidemic/pandemic looks like," said a man who was one of the first to line up.
He told CBS2 that he has an appointment for the shot on Sunday. He tried his luck Friday in case an earlier slot was available, but to no avail.
"You would expect that maybe they would have a bit more vaccines ready for distribution," he said.
Like many others who opted for a walk-in, he was turned away. It comes after a hectic first day of dishing out vaccines; hundreds waited in line for hours on Thursday.
CBS2 spoke with New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan as he visited the site on Friday.
"This is not a time for anxiety and panic. This is a time for preparation and I think that's what we're trying to show. That we're standing up and stepping up for the community by offering up this first in the country resource," Vasan said.
New York City was given about 1,000 doses of the vaccine to begin with. Vasan said he and his team are in contact with the CDC to acquire more.
"New York City has, I think, more than double the number of cases than any other jurisdiction in the country," Vasan said. "We are advocating every single day, every single hour for more vaccine."
The Chelsea clinic said it's only administering the shots to people who feel they were recently exposed to the virus. It is not accepting walk-ins at this time and appointments are booked through Monday.