Overseas Network, August 27. The monkeypox epidemic in the United States continues to spread, and the number of confirmed cases has increased to nearly 17,000, an increase of about 25% compared to a week ago.
The Associated Press issued a document on the 26th to criticize the racial disparity in the distribution of monkeypox vaccines in the United States, arguing that the groups most in need of protection have not received the vaccine fairly.
Data map: Color transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox particles (orange) found in infected cells (brown) cultured in the laboratory on July 26, 2022, in Maryland, USA.
Image source: Visual China
According to the Associated Press and other media reports, since the first case of monkeypox was announced in Massachusetts in mid-May, monkeypox cases have been found in all 50 states in the United States, and the United States has become the country with the most monkeypox cases in the world.
The outbreak has disproportionately affected African-Americans and Hispanics, yet vaccine distribution by U.S. health agencies has been criticized.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 10 percent of monkeypox vaccines are available to African Americans, although they account for about one-third of all U.S. cases.
About 50 percent of those who have been vaccinated are white, 25 percent are Hispanic, 10 percent are African American, and 10 percent are Asian.
Some health experts say the groups most in need of protection are not getting vaccines, and health officials must ensure that minorities have greater access to vaccinations, disease testing and treatment, and improve racial disparities in vaccine distribution.
(Overseas Network Yang Jia)