Baltimore, with the state’s most monkeypox cases, is opening new way to get vaccine – Baltimore Sun

The monkeypox outbreak has hit Baltimore the hardest of all Maryland jurisdictions, with about a third of the states cases, leaving some of the most vulnerable uninsured and underinsured unable to get the vaccine.

But with more supplies coming from federal sources, and a partnership with the Baltimore Health Department, Nomi Health will begin offering shots through a health clinic on the west side of downtown and a mobile van, the city health commissioner, Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, and other officials announced Tuesday.

This will really increase our capacity, said Adena Greenbaum, assistant Baltimore health commissioner for clinical services and HIV/STI prevention, on a clinic tour ahead of the announcement. We will be able to go beyond the health department and other partners in the community.

The increased availability of shots comes as the monkeypox virus outbreak appears to be on the wane in the United States. the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week an average of about 60 cases a day down from a high of 580 in early August. That may be due to some vaccinations and lifestyle adjustments by those most at risk.

But public health officials and experts warn the virus continues to infect people and can, like the coronavirus, morph into new variants that are more efficient at infecting humans. Any delays or pullback in tackling the virus could make it more difficult to control, according to research from the University of Maryland.

Just because a disease like monkeypox appears controllable does not mean it will stay controllable, said Philip Johnson, the researchs lead author and University of Maryland biology assistant professor, in a statement. Slowly simmering epidemics like monkeypox have a higher probability of evolution during the time frame while case numbers are low.

The city and Nomi Health will offer the shots by appointment only and take people who pre-registered through a state site. Currently about there are 460 city residents on the list out of about 3,700 statewide.

Patients and advocates have criticized the slow rollout of testing and vaccination nationally, which officials believe was due to a combination of low vaccine supply, public health infrastructure burdened by the coronavirus pandemic and underfunding. A concern about stigmatizing the most hard hit in the gay community also may have played a role.

Now there appears to be ample doses available.

Maryland has received 14,539 vials of vaccine from federal officials in recent weeks, which can be divided up to five doses each using a technique called intradermal vaccination where the shot is given between layers of skin in the forearm instead of in the muscle. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the method in August to stretch limited doses.

In September, the Maryland Department of Health expanded eligibility to anyone at high risk of a monkeypox infection and not just those directly exposed. So far, 7,353 people have been vaccinated in Maryland.

To get the word out, the health department continues to engage local communities on human monkeypox with a webinar series this month and continuing partnerships with local health departments and community partners, said Chase Cook, a department spokesman.

Previously, health officials had been alerting medical professionals to be on the lookout for symptoms and refer for testing.

Clusters of monkeypox began showing up in May in European countries that do not normally have significant cases. Soon after cases were detected in the United States and Maryland. They caused a telltale body rash that can last weeks, swollen lymph nodes and achiness that can be severe.

The state has logged 692 cases, with the most, 255, or nearly a third, in Baltimore. About half the cases have been in the city and surrounding metro area. More than 95% have been male, 61% Black and 47% ages 30 to 39.

Sean Arroyo, vice president of operations at Nomi, a nationwide health care provider to underserved communities, said the West Baltimore Street clinic has been busy in the past year offering COVID testing and vaccines.

The lines that were out the door and down the street at times have dropped significantly though there are still widespread cases and the clinic now offers the bivalent omicron COVID vaccine, he said.

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Now Nomi will add monkeypox vaccine to the lineup, and later flu vaccine, under a $1 million contract with the city health department that lasts through December.

He and city officials are unsure what the demand will be, especially as cases wane and people feel less fearful of a monkeypox infection. The clinic can vaccinate up to 125 people a day and will get the van into neighborhoods in coming weeks.

Registered nurse Diona Harrington, operations manager of Nomi Baltimore holds the door for incoming Nomi Health personnel from out of town as Baltimore health officials plan opening a new monkeypox inoculation clinic at Nomi Health's Baltimore Street location, which aims to make the vaccine more easily accessible. (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun)

Weve seen a national drop-off in demand, but there are pockets of demand so we will be here and bring the van into the communities, Arroyo said. Were working on a plan for the van. Not everyone has transportation to get here.

Health officials say vaccinations will be essential to combating the outbreak.

Waiting until the number of cases is high again would give monkeypox the opportunity to adapt more substantially to humans, the University of Marylands Johnson said.

The research was published last month in the journal The Lancet. It cited Ebola and the omicron variants of the coronavirus as examples of viruses more difficult to control once they evolve from their original form and jump to humans from animals.

We have finite public health resources, meaning that we need more research to develop tools that can identify possible early-stage evolutionary adaptations and help guide control efforts to where theyll be most effective, Johnson said.

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Baltimore, with the state's most monkeypox cases, is opening new way to get vaccine - Baltimore Sun