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While one reason is that access to vaccines and testing improved, and another is that mpox is inherently much harder to transmit than Covid, the biggest, most agree, is that the people most at risk took their protection into their own hands in those crucial early weeks when the authorities were flailing. “The success was the community mobilization,” says Joseph Osmundson, a queer activist, molecular microbiologist, and clinical assistant professor at New York University. (Lichfield and McKenna, 12/22)

Overall, there have been 29,646 mpox cases in the US as of Dec. 14, including 20 deaths, and more than 83,000 cases and 66 deaths worldwide (as of Dec. 20), many in countries that historically never had cases of the disease. Most of these cases were identified in gay and bisexual men, with the greatest danger of severe illness posed to those living with certain autoimmune conditions, including HIV. Particularly in the US, Black and Latine men have been disproportionately affected by the current mpox outbreak. Cases are way down and trending in the right direction. The highest single-day case count in the US for mpox was 635 on Aug. 1, and the highest seven-day average was 462 on Aug. 6. Compare those figures to the latest data from the CDC, where there were less than 10 cases most days in early December. Can’t argue with data; the tides seem to have turned. (Waechter, 12/20)

Anyone who wants to be vaccinated against mpox can now receive the shots, regardless of their sexual history or personal risk, county health officials said on Thursday. “This is a change in policy which will allow more people to be able to access the vaccine without questions asked,” said Andrea Kim, director of vaccine preventable disease control at Los Angeles County Public Health. (Fortier, 12/22)

Today in Clinical Infectious Diseases two opposing commentaries debate whether or not mpox should be considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI). While the 2022 global outbreak has largely been defined by sexual transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM), the disease has historically been defined via household contact, or animal-to-human contact via the ingestion of bushmeat. (Soucheray, 12/22)

Target Corp. has recalled more than 200,000 weighted blankets after receiving reports that two young children died by suffocation earlier this year, the retail giant and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday. The federal agency said a young child can unzip the cover of the Pillowfort Weighted Blanket and become trapped inside. A 4-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl in North Carolina reportedly became trapped in the cover and died due to asphyxiation this April, according to the CPSC. (Ansari, 12/22)

There have been loads of research done about the benefits of drinking coffee, but you may want to limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day if you have severely high blood pressure, according to a new study. (Mendoza, 12/22)

KHN: Seasonal Cooks’ Secret Sauce: Heaping Nutrition And Cultural Zest 

Oldways Ambassadors Brenda Atchison and Glorya Fernandez walked a KHN reporter through two cooking demonstrations to showcase modern takes on cultural classics — like a cold black-eyed pea salad just in time for the new year, and a garlicky dill mojo sauce served over spinach salad. Last year, Kelly LeBlanc, director of nutrition at Oldways, shared the organization’s heritage-based food guide pyramids with KHN for a report on USDA food guidelines. It’s the 10-year anniversary of Oldways’ A Taste of African Heritage nutrition curriculum, and this year, the curriculum became part of the Department of Agriculture’s SNAP-Ed Toolkit, a collection of interventions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program educational effort focused on helping low-income households make healthier food choices and reinforce healthy eating habits. (Giles, 12/23)

KHN: Survivors Of Gangs And Gun Violence, These Women Now Help Others Navigate Grief

When April Roby-Bell joined the Gangster Disciples in middle school, the street gang treated her like family when she felt abandoned by her own. She was looking for love, acceptance, and stability. “They trained us as little kids. How to own your ’hood, own your street: ‘This is my territory,’” Roby-Bell said. The experience also taught her tough lessons about life and death at an early age. At least half of the friends she grew up with are now dead. “At times, it became hard because you just get tired of fighting,” she said. “I probably should have been dead a long time ago.” (Anthony, 12/23)

KHN: Journalists Recap Coverage Of Gun Violence, Drug Imports, And Mental Health 

Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony discussed how an artist makes art from bullet shell casings to highlight gun violence on KMOX on Dec. 19. KHN senior correspondent Phil Galewitz discussed state plans to import prescription drugs from Canada on KKCO-TV on Dec. 15. KHN correspondent Aneri Pattani discussed the revolving door of mental health in the United States on Vox’s “The Weeds” podcast on Dec. 13. (12/23)