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Sonoma County Department of Health Services issues letter to community to increase awareness about monkeypox

Dear Sonoma County residents, We are facing a public health emergency. On August 1, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to combat the spread of monkeypox. Three days later, the administration of President Joe Biden declared a public health emergency at the federal level as well. The emergency declarations will help ensure we obtain the critical resources needed to combat the spread of this virus. While this outbreak is very different from the coronavirus pandemic, we have learned many lessons over the past two years to help us battle the spread of infectious diseases. To date, we […]

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Monkeypox vaccine: Australia secures 450,000 doses as EU struggles to roll out jab

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The Australian government is to import 450,000 monkeypox vaccine doses to help tackle a rise in cases. Health minister Mark Butler told reporters on Thursday (4 August) the government had negotiated at least 450,000 doses of the third-generation Bavarian-Nordic vaccine to be prioritised for specific at-risk groups including gay and bisexual men. The government began negotiating vaccine distribution on 20 May, according to Butler, just one day after the first confirmed case in Australia. At the current time of reporting, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that at least 53 cases of the disease have been reported in Australia […]

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Moderna May Create mRNA-Based Monkeypox Vax

ABC News reports: Amid growing concerns over the potential threat of monkeypox, executives from Moderna said Wednesday they have initiated a research program to consider whether the company could create a monkeypox vaccine with mRNA technology. “We’re obviously very aware of the monkeypox concern and obviously very sensitive to recent announcements,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said during an investor call. “Our platform is pretty well established and our ability to rapidly scale has been demonstrated. If we were to go after a monkeypox clinical development program, it would be to very quickly progress toward an approvable set of endpoints in a […]

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Conservatives sue school for refusing to out transgender students

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The right-leaning group Parents Defending Education (PDE) has sued the Linn-Mar Community School District of Iowa because its policies protect transgender students from transphobic parents and students. PDE supports banning LGBTQ books and curricula about institutional racism from schools. The organization has also previously partnered with the anti-LGBTQ group Moms for Liberty. The Linn-Mar Community School District allows students (grades seven and up) to create a “gender support plan.” The plan requires school staff, students, and school documents (including ID cards and yearbooks) to address students by their self-assigned name and gender identity. The policy also allows these students to enter the […]

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Just how effective are monkeypox vaccines? Here’s what we know—and don’t.

As monkeypox continues to spread worldwide, health officials have recommended high-risk individuals get vaccinated as soon as possible—but research is limited on just how effectively the available vaccines prevent infection, Randy Dotinga writes for MedPage Today. How the US plans to vaccinate against monkeypox The US boosts vaccine supply to combat monkeypox CDC has confirmed 6,326 cases of monkeypox across 48 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The states most impacted by the outbreak so far are New York with 1,617 cases, California with 826 cases, and Illinois with 533 cases. To reduce the risk of viral transmission, health officials have […]

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Southern Decadence “Will Be A Superspreader Event” Without MPX Vaccine Availability

The Louisiana Illuminator reports: Southern Decadence, advertised as the largest LGBTQ+ festival held annually in the Deep South, is scheduled for Labor Day weekend (Sept. 1-5) in New Orleans. It typically attracts 100,000 to 300,000 participants and is a major economic boon to the city in a season when tourism is otherwise sluggish. Health officials at the state and local level say Louisiana’s meager vaccine supply will leave the state vulnerable to a large monkeypox outbreak following such a massive event. Southern Decadence could also further the virus spread in other parts of the country if visitors become infected while in New […]

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Trans 8-year-old sues state for not letting her use school restrooms like everyone else

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An eight-year-old transgender girl and her parents are suing the Tennessee Department of Education over the state’s Accommodations for All Children Act, which bans trans students from using school bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. On Thursday, the Human Rights Campaign filed the lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the child, identified as D.H., and her parents. Under the 2021 law, which allows cisgender public school students and their families to sue if they’re not given a “reasonable accommodation” by their school if they don’t want to share bathrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities with trans people, D.H. was forced to […]

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Gay couple attacked by teens calling them “monkeypox f****ts”

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A Washington, D.C., gay couple was attacked on Sunday by a pair of teenagers who reportedly called them “monkeypox f****ts.” The couple says they were walking in the Shaw neighborhood when they encountered a group of teens who began calling them “monkeypox f****ts.” According to Metro Weekly, Robert, 25, and Antonio, 23, were followed down the street by one of the teens. When Robert turned to confront him, the teen punched him in the forehead, knocking him to the ground. A second teen then punched Antonio in the face. The first teen struck Robert again, breaking his glasses. An onlooker called […]

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Michigan Town Defunds Library Over LGBTQ Books

The Guardian reports: A small-town library is at risk of shutting down after residents of Jamestown, Michigan, voted to defund it rather than tolerate certain LGBTQ+-themed books. Residents voted on Tuesday to block a renewal of funds tied to property taxes, Bridge Michigan reported. The vote leaves the library with funds through the first quarter of next year. Once a reserve fund is used up, it would be forced to close, Larry Walton, the library board’s president, told Bridge Michigan – harming not just readers but the community at large. Beyond books, residents visit the library for its wifi, he said, and […]

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Authorities in Uganda suspend prominent LGBTQ rights group

Ugandan authorities have suspended the work of a prominent LGBTQ rights group, calling it an illegal entity. Sexual Minorities Uganda has been the East African nation’s most prominent support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people since 2004. Its leader, Frank Mugisha, said Saturday that authorities who oversee non-governmental organizations advised him to suspend activities, saying his group lacked needed documentation. “This means that the life-saving work we do is on hold. We can’t protect and support vulnerable LGBT people,” he said. “The background, of course, is homophobia and transphobia.” The NGO Bureau said in a statement that […]

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