In early 2020 I was (like everyone else) trying to understand what was going with a new virus – https://msemilieoxford.com/2020/03/14/social-distancing-online-chat. But while the US was arguably slow in appreciating the threat to public health, it quickly became clear (to most of us) that we needed to take extraordinary measures. So at that point I stopped doing in-person sessions – and didn’t restart until May 2021 - https://msemilieoxford.com/2021/05/11/re-entry. And even then I required that all my slaves and sissies were vaccinated and/or boosted.

Now I feel a horrible sense of déjà vu about monkeypox.

I am a science geek. So over the last two years, I have really appreciated regular Covid bulletins from Katelyn Jetelina (Your Local Epidemiologist), who has a talent for making public health science (and epidemiology) understandable and accessible. And now she is starting to do the same job for monkeypox (MPV) – see https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/monkeypox-101-unanswered-... and https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/covid-19-and-monkeypox-similarities

She points out that there’s a lot we don’t know about monkeypox.

• What are the right doses and dosing intervals for vaccines?
• How effective is smallpox vaccination from the 1970s?
• What is the safety and effectiveness of the smallpox treatment TPOXX for MPV?
• Is the virus viable in wastewater?
• Is this a sexually transmitted infection?

She also points out that so far monkeypox has largely been confined to a particular demographic. But there are already cases where it is appearing in the wider population. So as _Papa-Bear_ (https://fetlife.com/users/5273655) points out “If you live in rural Kansas and are in a monogamous relationship and don't share toys or gear with others, you are not who should be seeking the vaccine right now. If you have multiple partners who have multiple partners, go to clubs that might not have the best record for cleaning shared surfaces, or even live in NYC and frequent the subway... you should be paying more attention and actively protecting yourself.”

So, as someone who definitely fits into the at-risk category, I am

• trying to get vaccinated (which is outrageously difficult!)
• taking a (hopefully temporary) hiatus from in-person sessions until things are clearer.

I suspect that will disappoint a lot of my slaves and sissies, who have only really just got started on their adventures again after the main part of the Pandemic. But I need to protect myself – and those close to me (some of whom are immuno-compromised).

Stay safe…

Ms Emilie