US offers extra monkeypox vaccine doses for gay pride events

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are making extra monkeypox vaccine available to places with upcoming gay pride events. The government on Thursday announced the launch of program that sets aside a pool of 50,000 doses for different cities and states. At least a dozen U.S. pride events are scheduled over the next two months, including large gatherings in Atlanta and New Orleans in early September. There have been more than 39,000 monkeypox cases reported in countries that have not historically seen the disease. The U.S. has the most of any country, more than 13,500. The vast majority have occurred in men who have sex with men, but health officials stress that anyone can get monkeypox.