The U.S. monkeypox outbreak started nearly six months ago, and nearly 30,000 people have tested positive for the virus – yet Congress still has not funded efforts on the front lines of the outbreak. This week, The Partnership to End HIV, STDs, and Hepatitis released a letter with 366 signatures urging Congress to provide $4.5 billion in emergency funds for the response. With the midterm elections looming, the funding prospects are grim. Along with our partners on the National MPV Working Group, NCSD is assessing the most pressing response needs and strategizing about how to inform policymakers of the efforts on the ground.

This week, NCSD completed its second online focus group in partnership with the CDC to assess monkeypox messages. This session focused on stigma, and analysis of the feedback is ongoing. The first of these sessions focused on vaccine messages and how people are making their vaccine decisions. Key Takeaways from the first session are available now.