Monkeypox

Family Health Centers is providing free monkeypox vaccines. Individuals who meet one of the following criteria may receive the vaccine.

• Close contact to someone with known or suspected monkeypox virus (direct skin-to-skin contact or other close contact)
• Diagnosis of HIV
• Diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhea or early syphilis, within the prior 12 months.
• Receiving medications to prevent HIV infection (PrEP)
• Exchanging sex for money or nonmonetary items
• Attending an event/venue where there was a high risk of exposure to an individual(s) with monkeypox virus through skin-to-skin or sexual contact
• Gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men or transgender people who are sexually active
• Laboratory workers who routinely perform monkeypox or orthopox virus testing
• Healthcare professionals who have had high-risk occupational exposure without using recommended personal protective equipment in the past 14 days.

The monkeypox vaccine is a two-dose series, 28 days apart.

Monkeypox is spread through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact. If you have been exposed to monkeypox and are experiencing symptoms, you are considered infectious, meaning you can spread monkeypox to others.

Symptoms of monkeypox can include: Fever, swollen lymph nodes, malaise (feeling of being unwell), headaches, chills, muscle aches, skin rash and lesions.

If you have been exposed to monkeypox, getting the monkeypox vaccine can reduce the severity of the illness.