Report: US government took 'wait-and-see' monkeypox approach; deprioritized gay men's health

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The New York Times is reporting that the U.S. government adopted a "wait-and-see" approach to its response to the monkeypox outbreak, only calling for more vaccines after cases started to balloon exponentially.

The article also said federal officials intentionally deprioritized gay men's health because they withheld vaccines out of fear there wouldn't be enough doses if a smallpox outbreak occurred.

MORE: Everything you need to know about monkeypox origin, infection, vaccines, and treatment

The World Health Organization is calling the monkeypox outbreak a "public health emergency," with cases reported in more than 75 countries.

Watch the video in the player above to watch ABC7's Hot Topics discussion on the article during "Midday Live."

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