Referring to the White Housing briefing, The Hill reports that The White House is boosting monkeypox vaccination and education through LGBTQ centered events in the country.

The White House’s national monkeypox response deputy director Demetre Daskalakis reported said during the briefing that the administration aiming to make the plan more “intentional & targeted”. He reportedly said “Given the progress we’ve made toward making the tools available to end this outbreak, our vaccine strategy is to meet people where they seek services, care or community — especially in communities of color. We know that Prides and other large LGBTQI+ focused events can do just that.”

Highlighting the success of the White House first pilot project at Charlotte Pride, Daskalakis reported said that similar program will be carried out at similar events throughout the country.

“We know jurisdictions have already centered equity in their work, but we want to provide additional support to foster even greater innovation in vaccine outreach and education of the communities most at risk,” added Daskalakis.

The Hill writes that the Louisiana governor John Edwards, praised the program and reportedly said “administration’s involvement in the monkeypox response in his state, especially with regard to the upcoming Southern Decadence festival. The federal government had sent an additional 6,000 doses of vaccines for monkeypox to be administered at the celebration”.

“We are expecting tens of thousands of people in New Orleans over this Labor Day weekend. And so being able to prepare for that and to get a head start on the vaccinations, on the testing, on the communications — all extremely important,” Gov. Edwards reportedly added.

Jennifer McQuiston, an outbreak and zoonotic disease specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reportedly said “her agency has been in contact with both Texas and Harris County, where the death was reported. McQuiston emphasized that deaths due to monkeypox are extremely rare”.

“It’s serious and our hearts certainly go out to this family who have lost a loved one. And while we are doing further investigation to find out what role monkeypox may have played, it’s important to focus that we have mitigation measures in place to prevent monkeypox,” reportedly added McQuiston.