Hispanic and Latino communities disproportionately affected by Mpox
In Santa Clara County, the Hispanic and Latinx community is by far the most affected group, with 55 percent of reported cases being in that group compared to 20 percent of whites, 9 percent of Asians and 5 percent of blacks.
San Jose, California – The new numbers from San Francisco and Santa Clara County show just how hard Monkeypox, or Mpox, is hitting Hispanic and Latino communities. Both regions say they are working to get their limited supplies of vaccines to the people who need them most.
In the early stages of any pandemic, it is difficult for public health experts to determine which group might be most affected. But with plenty of Covid-era lessons under the belt, current Mpox trends are a top priority issue for health authorities.
“It is fundamentally important that we understand who is being affected by this outbreak,” said Dr. Sarah Rudman, deputy health director for Santa Clara County.
In Santa Clara County, the Hispanic and Latinx community is by far the most affected group, with 55 percent of reported cases being in that group compared to 20 percent of whites, 9 percent of Asians and 5 percent of blacks.
“We know that right now Mpox in Santa Clara County is disproportionately affecting Latino men, especially gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men,” said Dr. Rudman. “It’s important that we know that, so we make sure that our work to get health care, information and vaccinations is focused on serving those same populations.”
“The Latinx community is very tight-knit and because housing is so expensive, a lot of people share housing and that’s one of the ways it can spread,” said Gabrielle Antolovich, board chair of the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ community center. from San jose.
In San Francisco, whites are the most affected at 46 percent, but Hispanic and Latino communities still account for 28 percent of cases, Asians nine percent and blacks six percent.
“So when we see the high positivity rate, it’s a red flag that we’re working to address,” said Ivan Corado-Vega of the San Francisco Latino Task Force. “Health disparities have always existed in the Latino community. So it’s really sad to see that here we are with another health issue that is disproportionately affecting our community.”
The task force is a group of 40 community organizations originally formed to help with the response to Covid and are now applying some of the same strategies to Mpox.
“What we want to do is make access to Mpox services and vaccination a low barrier or no barrier at all. So what that requires is reaching out to our community in a language they are familiar with and with people who are their neighborhood, Corrado-Vega said.
While demographic data will help identify those affected, communities say supplying vaccines remains a key focus. As of Monday morning, Santa Clara County health officials and providers have administered 5,856 doses of the Mpox vaccine. Santa Clara County is currently using an injection technique that allows for smaller doses so more people can get vaccinated.
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