Mpox cases recently showed a small spike in the Chicago area. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was a total of 12 confirmed and one probable case of mpox reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health between April 17 to May 5. All cases were among symptomatic men and none were hospitalized. Nine (69 percent) of 13 cases were among men who had received two JYNNEOS vaccine doses.
The new case rate was the highest in Chicago since November 2022 and the highest weekly rate in any U.S. region so far this year. The LGBTQ+ community is especially at risk, and Howard Brown University is urging sexually active members to get vaccinated. Dr. Patrick Gibbons, chief medical director at Howard Brown, said, ” The more people who get vaccinated, the better protected the LGBTQ+ community will be from another outbreak of Monkeypox this year."
Despite an uptick in new cases, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is partnering with Grindr in a groundbreaking initiative to ensure that key information about mpox reaches LGBTQ+ communities in the Region of the Americas.
PAHO and Grindr will work together to tackle stigma and misinformation about mpox and address critical information gaps such as prevention, treatment, and care.
Dr. Ruben Mayorga-Sagastume, Chief of HIV, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, and Incident Manager for mpox at PAHO, said, “Clear and concise information on measures that people can take to protect their health is key to controlling and preventing outbreaks of infectious disease. We welcome this opportunity to work with Grindr to provide this information where it is needed the most."
PAHO has developed a series of tools to guide countries' efforts and provide knowledge for the most at-risk groups. They were also the first WHO region to make vaccines available as part of the emergency response.
