More than 1,000 cases of the disease have been reported in the U.S.
High demand for the monkeypox vaccine caused the New York City appointment system to collapse, one of many places where supplies have been running out almost as soon as they arrive.
City health officials acknowledged frustration with the limited vaccine supply and pledged to create a "stable appointment infrastructure" as vaccine supplies increase.
Infections in the United States now exceed 1,000. Most patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more severe disease may develop rashes and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.
Vaccine shortages have heightened anxiety about the virus. Health officials say anyone can contract monkeypox, or monkeypox, but most cases in the United States have occurred in men who have sex with men.
Scientists warn that anyone in close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox or their clothing or bedding is at risk of becoming infected, regardless of sexual orientation.
"After COVID, this should have been easy," said Daniel Ross, 25, a Harlem man who was one of many seeking a date Tuesday. "I kept updating and updating ... I was frustrated."
Ross soon gave up on the dating portal, which stopped working minutes after it went live.
"It's going to haunt me," he said. "Me being a gay man living in Harlem, there's a lot of anxiety. I had four mosquito bites, and I was thinking, 'what if this isn't a mosquito bite?' "
To date, New York City has administered nearly seven thousand vaccinations, while thousands of others have been waiting for their chance to be inoculated against the virus. Health officials said they expected 14,500 doses this week.
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