Rep. Kenyatta responds to Philadelphia Monkeypox database
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta August 18, 2022 | 2:03 PM
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 18 – State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila., today responded to what he says is troubling data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s database on Monkeypox cases and vaccine distribution.
The first published data set shows that nearly 90% of the cases in Philadelphia identify as cisgender male, nearly 50% of cases are between the ages of 30 and 39, and more than twice as many cases report race as Black or African American than White. More than 93% of vaccines have been administered to men, 43% of doses have been administered to residents between the ages of 30 and 39, and 58% of doses have been administered to people who report their race as White.
Kenyatta describes these statistics as “troubling.”
“When I spoke at a press conference about Monkeypox, I warned everybody that this virus can affect everybody,” Kenyatta said. “Now we are seeing that it is disproportionately affecting those most marginalized, such as Black and LGBTQIA+ communities. This is very troubling, because these communities were some of the hardest hit by COVID-19.”
Kenyatta continued, “We must create equity in the vaccine distribution to ensure that those most vulnerable and at-risk are protected as much as possible. I do give credit to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health for recognizing the need to vaccinate those most at-risk, and I am willing to work with them in any way I can to ensure the vaccine distribution gives everyone the easiest possible accessibility to get vaccinated against Monkeypox.”