Andy Cohen used his public platform to make a statement on the current monkeypox outbreak that has put New York City in a state of emergency.
The recognized Bravo host, 54, took a minute to address the current medical crisis on his show, Watch What Happens Live!.
On Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order for a state of emergency due to a highly increasing amount of MPV (monkeypox) cases being declared.
Cohen first addressed the situation by saying the government has had an “abysmal” response to the situation thus far and hopes the new order will help those in charge successfully deal with the threat before it worsens.
He also mentioned his awareness of the vaccine shortage at the moment and primarily urged his “gay brothers” to take precautions for their own protection.
Recent demographics, which were revealed by officials in NYC, have shown that 95% of confirmed monkeypox cases were believed to have been transmitted during sex between males.
Andy Cohen’s personal opinion on the monkeypox outbreak
After relaying the factual information regarding the outbreak, Cohen made a passionate statement to his fellow “brothers” in the gay community.
“I want to speak to my gay brothers for a minute, we need to take this seriously,” Cohen said. “Because this is affecting us at much higher rates than others right now.”
“Be aware, get vaccinated if you can, and please I know it’s summer we all have ‘Covid fatigue,” but please be safe and don’t take unnecessary risks. I know it’s summer but keep it locked up,” he continued.
Cohen then switched gears to ask government officials and media personalities to not use the situation as a chance to vilify the LGBTQ+ community.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Fans commend Andy Cohen for publicly speaking out
Twitter user @MikeSington shared a clip of the Bravo host’s plea on Twitter, which immediately garnered attention and was even retweeted by Andy Cohen himself.
“So few are speaking out. Kudos to Andy Cohen @Andy for making such an impassioned plea about monkeypox. This is well worth watching,” he tweeted.
“@andy can be a big huge goof, but he’s absolutely correct. One of the few people in the media taking a responsible position and announcing it. Good for him,” another user wrote.
“Nicely balanced messaging. Calling out the scapegoating, as well as the need for more governmental attention to this public health crisis and directed resources. Also good that Andy mentions the role of behavioral risk factors,” One user replied to the shared video clip.
To learn more about the infectious disease, the CDC website offers information on monkeypox symptoms and the best ways to ensure prevention.