Although the peak of mpox, previously referred to as monkeypox, occurred and passed last year, there has been a recent increase in new cases in the U.S. This surge has prompted public health warnings that the disease, which has disproportionately affected the men who have sex with men community, may be about to surge again.
To help curb potential complacency and re-up healthcare messaging, the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) has launched a new mpox ad campaign and toolkits for local health centers to boost awareness and vaccination.
The Washington, D.C-based group's new ad campaign is running on dating website Grindr. The NCSD is also offering a “comprehensive suite of tools and resources including communications assets, creative materials and trainings to support more than 60 local health departments around the country,” according to a release.
The idea is to increase awareness of the continued threat of mpox while encouraging those who are at risk to get the two-dose vaccine Jynneos from Bavarian Nordic. More than 1 million doses of the vaccine have already been given out in the U.S.
This comes a month after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services locked up another 2.5 million doses of Bavarian Nordic’s smallpox and monkeypox vaccine, bringing the government’s supply to more than 4 million shots.
The virus, capable of inducing painful, poxlike lesions and, in a minority of cases, leading to fatalities, is usually observed in specific regions of Africa. However, unexpectedly last year, there was a rapid and sudden increase in its global transmission, primarily affecting men who have sex with men.
This trend was swiftly suppressed by winter, aided by a vaccination surge. However, in recent months, there have been minor increases in the number of cases, raising concerns of a potential resurgence.
“The best antidote to a potential disease outbreak is supplying communities with the tools they need to be prepared and vigilant, and thankfully, in the case of mpox, we have an effective vaccine available to protect communities,” said David Harvey, executive director of NCSD, in the release.
“Last summer, thanks to the efforts of the gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (GBMSM) community and public health officials, we were able to quickly get people vaccinated and effectively curb the mpox outbreak. Despite that success, the work is not done.
“The goal of this effort is to take the burden off of already-strapped local health departments by providing them with the resources they need to get the word out, and ensure communities know that mpox is still a risk, that both doses of the vaccine are needed for full protection, and that the vaccine is safe and effective.”