Andy Cohen Slams Government's 'Abysmal' Monkeypox Response, Warns His 'Gay Brothers' to Stay Safe

Mar. 15, 2025

Andy Cohen.

Andy Cohenis speaking out about the currentmonkeypoxoutbreak.

During an episode ofWatch What Happens Live, the 54-year-old host slammed the government’s response to the virus as the United Statesconfirmed 5,811 casesas of August 1.

Though health experts have reported that many of the cases of monkeypox have been in males who identify as gay or bisexual, Cohen warned his “gay brothers” to stay safe while urging the public not to stigmatize the community as the virus spreads among all demographics.

“I want to speak to my gay brothers for a minute,” he continued. “We need to take this seriously because this is affecting us at much higher rates than others right now so be aware, get vaccinated if you can and please — I know it’s summer and we all have COVID fatigue — but please be safe. Don’t take unnecessary risks. I know it’s summer, but keep it locked up.”

Cohen added: “At the same time, I call on everyone in the government and the media to not stigmatize our community, which is already under attack from many who’d rather use us as a scapegoat than help us and if you’re not a gay man you might think this doesn’t affect you now, but this is everyone’s problem because as we’ve learned from very recent history, unless we act now these things can get a whole lot worse very quickly.”

“Bravo Andy 👏 Same stigma was placed on AIDS. So, glad you are shedding light on this disease and the lack and availability of the vaccine,” one person commented.

Another user wrote: “Not many people are speaking out about this newest threat to our health. Thanks Andy. Be safe everyone. 😢.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The ‘health emergency’ declaration is a legal action that allows cities to get access to resources and helps local agencies to coordinate.

“New York City is currently the epicenter of the outbreak, and we estimate that approximately 150,000 New Yorkers may currently be at risk for monkeypox exposure,” Adams and Vasan said in ajoint statement. “This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration of a public health emergency reflects the seriousness of the moment.”

The public health emergency came one day after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued anexecutive orderdeclaring a state disaster emergency in response to the outbreak. As of Monday, New York has 1,390confirmed cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York State, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond,” Hochul said. “It’s especially important to recognize the ways in which this outbreak is currently having a disproportionate impact on certain at-risk groups. That’s why my team and I are working around the clock to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity and responsibly educate the public on how to stay safe during this outbreak.”

source: people.com