For more than two years, local health officials in New York have been busy. Between a global pandemic and now the monkeypox outbreak in the state, Association of County Health Officials Executive Director Sarah Ravenhall says public health offices are juggling multiple issues.
The front lines of the monkeypox outbreak in New York have been at the county level, and officials there have needed resources.
“Public health is in the spotlight right now, and we’ve done a good job to the point where we don’t have enough vaccine for the demand,” Ravenhall said.
This week, New York Health Commissioner Mary Bassett declared monkeypox an imminent threat to public health. The move will provide more resources to the local health authorities to respond to the outbreak. At the same time, an additional 100,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine are being sent to New York by the federal government, providing further relief.
The statement came after elected officials and advocates criticized the state and federal response to the outbreak. At local level, the increasing number of cases has led to an even greater workload for healthcare personnel.
“This increase in workload can cover things like staff overtime, supplies needed to run vaccination clinics, or educational campaigns that go out into communities, working with community partners,” Ravenhall said.
Local health offices still need more help, including having monkeypox included under the federal PREP Act. The move will allow health officials to expand vaccine distribution and provide legal protections during the response.
“It allows our members at the local health departments to draw from a larger pool of licensed vaccinators when they host clinics and need to reach the community,” Ravenhall said.
Health authorities say anyone can get monkeypox. But the vast majority of cases have been found in LGBTQ communities, and often transmitted by men who have sex with other men.
“Our priority right now is health equity — making sure the LGBTQ-plus population has equitable access to vaccines and information right now,” Ravenhall said.
Ravenhall says that in addition to vaccinations, local health authorities are also tasked with providing public education.
“Keep yourself informed so you can protect yourself and your family from this contagious but preventable virus,” she said.
