US has failed to contain monkeypox: WP

NEW YORK - The COVID-19 pandemic and the monkeypox outbreak are quite different, but the early responses have exposed similar and disturbing shortcomings, reported The Washington Post (WP) on Saturday.

"Vaccines in short supply. Long lines at clinics. Case numbers going up every day. A spreading public dread, fear and suspicion. The government announcing everything is under control -- but it isn't," said WP.

Unlike the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, effective vaccines exist against monkeypox, but the one that is most suitable, the two-dose Jynneos, has been in short supply, largely due to a manufacturing bottleneck, and will probably remain so for months, according to the report.

The situation would require at least 329,000 doses, which is almost all of the 336,710 the government had shipped as of July 29. The total highest-risk, vulnerable population may be even higher, estimated at up to 1.7 million by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it said.

"The virus is also spreading fast and it may well be too late to contain it," it added, noting that the recent declarations of emergency by the Joe Biden administration and the World Health Organization underscore that the crisis is nowhere near resolution.