Monkeypox cases — a majority of them reported among gay and bisexual men — reached 208 in Illinois and more than 2,323 nationwide this week. Public health experts are now struggling to mitigate the spread of the virus and are frustrated with managing supply and demand for the vaccine.
In Chicago, cases increased from 105 last week to more than 180 on Thursday. Worry among the affected community is clear: A line at the Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) service center in Edgewater stretched for nearly a block on Monday. Dozens lined up hours before the 2 p.m. start time for vaccination, but with only 100 doses available at that location and priority going to high-risk individuals, many were turned away.
