Proposed Res. No. 243-A

Resolution calling on the United States Department of Health and Human Services to increase the number of mpox vaccines available and to prevent future outbreaks by ensuring that the number of vaccines sent to New York City reflects its proportion of nationwide cases

By Council Members Hudson, Ossé, Cabán, Schulman, Carr and Louis

                     Whereas, Mpox or monkeypox is a viral disease caused by the mpox virus, a zoonotic orthopoxvirus, that has gained increased global attention due to recent outbreaks; and

                     Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), zoonotic diseases are very common diseases, with an estimated six out of every ten known infectious diseases falling into this category, caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that are spread from animals to humans; and

                     Whereas, According to the Cleveland Clinic, orthopoxviruses are a group of viruses that cause a raised, bumpy rash, with smallpox and mpox being the most famous examples, and with mpox causing further symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle-pain for infected individuals; and

                     Whereas, Mpox can be spread through close contact with someone who is infected, contact with contaminated materials, contact with infected animals, or from mothers to fetuses or newborns during or after birth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO); and

                     Whereas, A significant public health crisis unfolded due to the mpox virus between 2022 and 2024, with almost 120,000 infections globally and the WHO declaring a public health emergency of international concern twice, in July 2022 and August 2024, with the 2024 resurgence caused by the more severe and deadly Ib strain, as opposed to the IIb strain which caused the initial outbreak in 2022; and

                     Whereas, In the United States, New York City (NYC) was the national epicenter during the 2022 mpox outbreak, with, according to data collected by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), a total of 3,821 reported cases between May 19, 2022 and December 31, 2022; and

                     Whereas, Mpox is still spreading in NYC, with DOHMH reporting 28 cases this year as of February 12, 2026 in NYC; and

                     Whereas, Despite the continued risk, the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedule no longer recommends the mpox vaccination for at risk 18-year-olds, while the recommended schedule from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is the schedule utilized by both New York State and NYC, still does; and

                     Whereas, Both the CDC and DOHMH still recommend the mpox vaccine for at risk adults, with DOHMH stating that those who are at risk include those who identify as male, trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, or gender non-conforming and have sex with men, those who plan to visit a country where clade I mpox virus is spreading and who anticipate sex with a new partner while traveling regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, those who consider themselves to be at risk for mpox through sex or other intimate contact now or in the future, or anyone who has or may have been in close contact with someone who has mpox in the past 14 days; and

                     Whereas, According to the CDC, JYNNEOS is a 2-dose vaccine developed to protect against mpox and smallpox, where the second dose should be administered four weeks after the first dose; and

                     Whereas, During the outbreak, in July 2022, NYC received about 26,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccines, according to DOHMH, of the 200,000 distributed nationally at the time according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), about 13 percent, despite having had the highest infection rate in the country at the time; and

                     Whereas, On July 11, 2022, then-NYC Mayor Eric Adams wrote an open letter to then-United States President Joseph Biden requesting an equity-driven allocation of mpox vaccinations and highlighting that the number of vaccines NYC had been allocated were not enough to meet demand, stating that in less than 10 minutes of releasing new appointments at NYC’s vaccine clinics all appointments were taken; and

                     Whereas, According to an article published in the journal Viruses, the evolving epidemiology, or nature, of mpox has raised concern about the disease’ increasing spread and emphasized the need for control and prevention; and

                     Whereas, HHS and DOHMH must ensure that NYC has an adequate number of vaccines to prevent the spread and future outbreaks of mpox; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the United States Department of Health and Human Services to increase the number of mpox vaccines available and to prevent future outbreaks by ensuring that the number of vaccines sent to New York City reflects its proportion of nationwide cases.

MB/JN

LS 10092

3/2/26