Currently, there is only one lab that manufacturers the monkeypox vaccine in the world, but Sen. Wiener says it has agreed to license it, adding that it's up to the Biden administration to pressure U.S. manufactures to step up.
"Monkeypox has been detected in the wastewater of Northern California, suggesting that there is more transmission than meets the eye. And I think what we are seeing now in the number of cases is just the tip of the iceberg," says Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at UCSF.
"There is some laboratory data suggesting that one dose can actually have up to two years of protection," explains Chin-Hong. He is calling for emergency funding from the state before the August recess, to provide funding to local counties, especially for more testing.SF's Latinx residents disproportionally impacted by monkeypox; community leaders demand resources
"We all are putting a lot of pressure on our federal partners because they are the ones who are best positioned to turn this around on vaccinations. I do believe they now have a much greater sense of urgency," says Wiener.