The Parson administration appears to have learned something from its dismal handling of the coronavirus in Missouri. The official reaction so far to the small but growing threat of the monkeypox virus here has been encouraging — especially this week's emergency order by the state's health department mandating that new cases be reported within one day. The problem this time isn't the bizarre political issues that surrounded the coronavirus, but a lack of available supplies of the monkeypox vaccine.

With the hindsight of more than two years since the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, Missouri's failure on that front is clearly in focus. All told, Missouri is in the top 20 states nationally in terms of coronavirus death rates. Even today, just 57% of Missouri's population is fully vaccinated, putting it in the bottom dozen states, and well below the national average of 67%.

Data shows that Republican-held states in general have weathered the pandemic significantly worse than Democrat-held states, with an overall 38% higher death rate in red states than blue ones. This tragic dichotomy can be traced largely to former President Donald Trump. His primary response to the once-in-a-century health crisis that erupted on his watch was to deny it was happening, resisting shutdown strategies and mask mandates.

Even after Trump's administration miraculously spurred production of effective vaccines in record time, his own mixed messaging about them helped make pandemic denial a litmus test for conservatives. The echoes of that attitude throughout the GOP were especially evident in Missouri, with Gov. Mike Parson's refusal to forcefully implore citizens to wear what he dismissively called "a dang mask," and state Attorney General Eric Schmitt's serial lawsuits against school districts and local governments that dared impose responsible pandemic policies.

In light of all that, the Parson administration's refreshingly normal response so far to the growing monkeypox threat is a relief. It's a different disease, far less deadly than the coronavirus, but serious enough to be treated like the viral relative of smallpox that it is. While risky sexual behavior is the primary mode of transmission, it can also be spread through casual contact or even coughing. Its flu-like symptoms usually aren't fatal but can be serious.

As the Post-Dispatch's Michele Munz and Kurt Erickson reported this week, the challenge with monkeypox today isn't political, but logistical: There are still vaccine shortages around the country, including in the St. Louis region. It's an issue the Biden administration has correctly targeted, announcing Thursday a concerted effort to boost vaccine supplies and reach out to high-risk communities.

Meanwhile, the fact that, so far, this new threat is being treated the way most epidemics were prior to the pandemic is a promising indication that the political virus that infected that issue hasn't spread beyond it.

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