Rising Mpox Cases in New York City: Health Department Offers Urgent Warnings and Vaccine Support

Since October 2023, cases of Mpox in New York City have been on the rise, particularly among individuals who have not been vaccinated or have only received one dose, according to a health alert issued by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health) on May 3rd. Prior to this year, the city saw an average of 2 to 20 cases per month. However, since October, the number of cases has increased to an average of 36 per month, with a peak of 51 cases in January. Of the 256 cases reported since October, 73% of individuals were unvaccinated or had only received one dose.

The health department has urged healthcare providers to continue offering vaccines to at-risk populations, particularly individuals with HIV or other immunocompromising conditions. The Jynneos vaccine has transitioned to the commercial market but federally funded supplies will be available at no cost until early summer. Providers were also reminded to be mindful of the risk of the more severe clade 1 virus currently causing a severe outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), potentially spreading to the United States. While the clade 1 outbreak strain has not been found outside of Africa, providers were advised to watch for individuals with mpox symptoms who have traveled to or have connections with