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New data emerging from some states and localities closely tracking monkeypox outbreaks show extreme racial disparities that are alarming experts. In Georgia, 82% of people with the disease are Black. In North Carolina, it’s 70%. But in other places that have released detailed demographic data, there are fewer and sometimes no apparent racial or ethnic disparities in monkeypox cases. (McFarling, Gilyard and Muthukumar, 8/11)

Monkeypox surveillance data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services show the outbreak is disproportionately affecting Black men. There were 111 cases of monkeypox reported in North Carolina on Tuesday, with 78 of those cases identified in Black men, according to data from the NCDHHS. (Moore, 8/12)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration chief on Thursday defended a plan to administer Bavarian Nordic's (BAVA.CO) monkeypox shot intradermally after the company raised doubts about the safety of the method, citing a lack of data. The company had on Tuesday said there was some evidence that a shot of Jynneos between the layers of the skin could result in increased reactions compared to the approved method of injecting it underneath the skin. (8/11)

Cases have been reported in every state but Wyoming while 15 states and the District of Columbia have reported more than a hundred cases. The largest numbers are in New York, California and Florida. No U.S. deaths have so far been reported, out of the 12 monkeypox fatalities the World Health Organization has tallied so far this year. (Tin, 8/11)

In a letter initiated by Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Seth Moulton, and signed by the state’s two senators and nine representatives, the legislators argue that such a declaration would “unlock resources to ensure that residents receive the urgent and robust response the moment demands” and allow “greater flexibility and more tools to enact a whole-of-government response.” (Freyer, 8/11)

The Monkeypox vaccine is available in Wyoming on a targeted and limited basis. Monkeypox is rare disease that is rarely fatal but can be unpleasant, painful and cause serious illness in some people. (Kudelska, 8/11)

Lack of access to monkeypox vaccines and tests threatens to hinder colleges and universities in the hardest-hit US states as they plan to beat back a feared campus surge later this year. Health administrators at schools nationwide are largely relying on educational measures as they prepare for the return of students for the fall semester. Some campuses have testing available at their medical centers, yet none reported requirements for students to get shots or undergo testing. (Taylor, 8/11)

When Matt Ford, 30, an actor in Los Angeles, tested positive for monkeypox in June, he posted videos on Twitter and TikTok to show what it was like. Wearing a gray T-shirt and staring directly into the camera, he offered viewers close-ups of the “gross spots” all over his body, including his face, arms, belly. He also mentioned “some in my more sensitive areas, which also tend to be the most painful.” (Bernstei, 8/11)

Viruses such as molloscum, commonly seen in children, and varicella virus, known as chickenpox in children and shingles in adults, "can look like monkeypox due to vesicles -- which are fluid filled bumps, and cause discomfort such as itching or pain," said Dr. Michelle Henry, dermatologist and founder of Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan. (Bowers, 8/11)