Long lines in New York for monkeypox vaccine

New York has become the US epicenter of the monkeypox virus

On a hot Sunday afternoon in New York, the epicenter of the US monkeypox outbreak, a long line of men aged 20 to 40 wait for a vaccine to protect themselves and their loved ones against the virus.

With its rows of tables and chairs and stacks of medical equipment, the vaccination center -- a high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn -- is reminiscent of a vaccine spot for Covid-19, a virus for which New York was also the US epicenter.

They were all gone in seven minutes.

"It was frustrating, largely because especially with Covid, you'd think that we would have more of a structured process or vaccine rollout," Aidan Baglivo, 23, told AFP. "There just wasn't really anything."

The city of more than eight million people saw monkeypox infections climb last week, with 461 cases recorded Friday since the US outbreak began in May.

Baglivo, a data analyst, noted that people who are the most connected on social media have the highest chances of getting a vaccine appointment.

"This shouldn't be an issue because there's already a vaccine, and it (the rollout) should be... more efficient to prevent it from becoming more of an issue," said the 28-year-old. Neither his partner nor his best friend have been able to get a vaccine.

Anyone can catch monkeypox, which spreads through close physical contact, but the Jynneos vaccine is currently reserved for men who have sex with men, who make up the vast majority of cases.

- 'Important to be proactive' -

In his opinion, there isn't a lot of anti-vaccine sentiment in the LGBTQ community "because we've seen disease, we know what the AIDS epidemic" was like.

Monkeypox is characterized by lesions on the skin -- which can appear on the genitals or the mouth  -- and is often accompanied by fever, sore throat and pain in the lymph nodes. It usually clears up on its own but can be extremely painful.

But due to a lack of doses, the Bushwick site is not expected to reopen Monday.

In line at the Bushwick site, fitness instructor Leroy Jackson has another concern.

Access to appointments for minorities and underprivileged groups is even more limited, he pointed out.

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