Category: Monkey Pox Vaccine

Sex workers in Philadelphia are now eligible to receive the monkeypox vaccine, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said Thursday, a relief for people at high risk of catching the virus.

Philadelphias limited supply of vaccine doses had been restricted to people with confirmed exposure to the virus, or men who have sex with men, are over 18 years old, and are considered high-risk for contracting the virus because they either have had multiple recent partners or were treated recently for a sexually transmitted infection. Transgender and nonbinary people are also eligible.

The decision to include anyone who does sex work came amid lobbying from activist groups and sex workers themselves.

It was so urgent for me, said a 42-year-old Philadelphia sex worker who calls herself Madeline Layne. I woke up in the middle of the night having a panic attack because I was so stressed about this. I cant really work until I get the vaccine.

Even with restrictions on who is eligible for the vaccine, the city has not been able to meet demand, and has been prioritizing doses for people who have a confirmed exposure to the virus.

Still, health officials decided it was important to add sex workers to the eligibility list because they are at high risk of contracting the virus, said health department spokesperson James Kyle.

If one of them catches monkeypox, its going to go all through the community, said Jazmyn Henderson, whose organization, ACT UP Philadelphia, an HIV and AIDS activist group, has sought to expand vaccine access. We need to be thinking about high risk populations differently.

READ MORE: Monkeypox vaccine limits cause frustration and fear in Philly

Others at risk, such as people experiencing homelessness who may share clothes, toiletries, and drug paraphernalia, and health care workers who treat people with monkeypox, are not yet eligible.

At this point, we havent seen cases among healthcare workers or unhoused individuals who dont also have other risk factors, Kyle said. However, these are important groups to watch, and we hope to be able to vaccinate these groups as soon as we have enough vaccine.

In the meantime, staff at Philadelphia FIGHT, an LGBTQ-focused health center, are wearing surgical gowns and gloves as extra protection, in addition to the masks and face shields they were already wearing because of COVID, said Jay Kostman, a doctor there.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permitted health care providers to use smaller doses of the vaccine JYNNEOS to stretch the supply of doses as much as fivefold, federal health officials said. Philadelphias health department, though, has questions about the efficacy of the approach, and whether people can choose the amount of vaccine they receive, and has not yet started providing the smaller doses.

Monkeypox continues to spread widely in the United States, with the country cracking more than 10,000 cases as of Wednesday according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Philadelphia reported 128 cases Monday, the most recent data available.

READ MORE: Phillys monkeypox vaccine shortages arent solved yet as feds make move to increase access to the shots

Monkeypox spreads primarily through extended physical contact with the rashes and lesions it causes, and while it is not exclusively a sexually transmitted disease, the close contact of sex has proven to be an ideal means of transmission. The virus isnt fatal but can be extremely painful, with symptoms and the potential to infect others lasting for up to a month.

Monkeypox is really scary, especially to people for whom our appearance is such an important factor in our ability to make money, Layne said. If my face is covered in scars, Im done. Its really terrifying, honestly.

She asked that her legal name not be used to avoid stigma.

Layne has worked as an escort for about two years, she said, and developed a rigorous routine of testing and masking that allowed her to keep seeing clients through the COVID-19 pandemic. She wants to take the same approach to monkeypox, but there is no rapid test she can use, and a mask or condom cant reliably prevent contact with the rashes and lesions monkeypox causes, which may not be clearly apparent. Layne knows she has had male clients who are sexually active with men.

READ MORE: Exposed to monkeypox? Heres how to get a vaccination appointment in Philly.

This week and last week, Ive been more cautious because of monkeypox, said Layne, who has largely paused seeing clients. I can just kind of wait until I get the vaccine.

Layne had tweeted at the city health department, urging officials to make sex workers eligible for vaccination.

READ MORE: Are you at risk of getting monkeypox? Heres everything you need to know.

Philadelphia Red Umbrella Alliance, an advocacy group for city sex workers, has educated women working on the street about what monkeypox looks like and how it spreads, said Raani Begum, an organizer for the group. She is glad for greater access to the vaccine, but is concerned that women may not get it if they have to identify themselves as sex workers.

They have to expose themselves, and I think that can really keep them from accessing monkeypox vaccine, Begum said.

Sex workers have a complicated relationship with health care providers, Begum said, the result of stigma and discrimination they face. Women could fear how information provided to health care workers might be used or shared. Its something Layne has encountered too.

Theres always a stereotype of us being disease vectors, but our livelihoods depend on us being in good health, she said.

Though expanding eligibility to sex workers is a step in the right direction, health experts and activists say the city must do more. Kathleen Brady, a doctor and acting director of the health departments AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, said the agency relies on grant funds earmarked for specific programs, and cannot quickly redirect many employees to an unfunded crisis like monkeypox.

Last weeks federal public health emergency declaration is expected to send much-needed money to health departments for monkeypox response.

The response was definitely slow at the national level, Brady said. I think it should have been declared a public health emergency earlier without a doubt.

Health department staff will soon be reaching out to around 100 organizations, bars, venues, churches, and clubs that cater to LGBTQ people with information about the virus. Among them, she said, are two bath houses that cater to gay men, though they havent been receptive to other outreach efforts, Brady said. Neither returned a reporters calls.

Extended physical contact or even touching objects that touched the lesions on an infected person can spread the virus. The bath houses offer ample opportunity for transmission, Kostman said.

Yet, he said, its not necessarily sexual practices that put people in harms way.

Lets realize the potential risk is out there depending on behavior, he said, not just what group youre in.

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Philly sex workers finally have access to the monkeypox vaccine - The Philadelphia Inquirer

(TNS) - There's a waiting list of 250 people hoping to soon receive a monkeypox vaccine at Connecticut's Anchor Health.

The small network of LGBTQ clinics in Hamden and Stamford have seen demand outweigh the supply since the launch of vaccine availability in Connecticut on Aug. 1.

"I think people are very anxious to get the vaccine," said Dr. Joseph Canarie of Anchor Health. "A lot of people express a lot of relief about finally being able to get it, especially since many had been on the waitlist or trying to get it in Massachusetts or New York beforehand."

State officials have confirmed 54 cases of monkeypox since the first case was discovered July 5, which is lower than Massachusetts with 174 and far fewer than New York, which has 2,132. The number of patients seeking vaccines, despite the relatively low number of cases in Connecticut, has grown as the outbreak continues throughout the country.

Anchor was given 150 doses and had administered 110 of its doses by Wednesday with 40 appointments pending.

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Monkeypox Vaccine Is in High Demand in Connecticut - Government Technology

DOH spokesman Jeremy Redfern said although the virus is considered low risk for the general public, agency officials expect more people to get sick.

That being said, due to the lack of monkeypox vaccines from the federal government, we are expecting infections to increase, Redfern said in an email. Monkeypox is proving to be extremely painful for those infected, but the fatality rate remains at zero in the US.

The nationwide increase in monkeypox infections prompted President Joe Biden to declare a public health emergency last week. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show New York is leading the nation with 1,960 infections as of Sunday, followed by California with 1,310 cases. The governors of those states each signed an emergency declaration as cases went up, but the Florida Department of Health has no plans to ask DeSantis to declare an emergency.

We work with providers, hospitals, and clinics to ensure they are able to properly diagnose a case of monkeypox and report the case to their county health department for further testing, Redfern wrote.

An emergency declaration allows the states government to coordinate with agencies, impose special restrictions and sign contracts outside of state procurement laws.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Ladapo have downplayed the impact of the monkeypox virus, with DeSantis saying last week when Florida was fifth in the nation for infections that politicians and the news media are using the virus to scare people.

Two Democrats vying to unseat the incumbent Republican also demanded that DeSantis take more action. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said after a Tuesday campaign-related news conference in the parking lot of the governors mansion that her office has called on HHS to provide the state with more vaccines. She also urged the DeSantis administration to take the impact of the virus more seriously.

Fried said she recognizes that emergency declaration powers may not be necessary for monkeypox when compared to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but outreach efforts are key at preventing the virus from spreading, usually through direct human contact.

Its more so that we can say that this is serious, that weve got an issue here, and that we are starting to work with our local governments to provide the resources of vaccines and testing, Fried said. The whole thing about monkeypox is knowledge is power.

Fried will face Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) in the Aug. 23 primary, and the winner of that race will face off against DeSantis in November. Crist said during a Tuesday interview that DeSantis should be looking for ways to receive more vaccines from HHS rather than just downplaying the issue. With awareness playing such a crucial role in preventing spread, DeSantis should be pulling more levers that he has at his disposal in the event of a problem.

We know that testing is difficult, and the cases are probably more than we will ever know, Crist said during a phone interview. The thing to do here is be engaged, and the governors just not engaged here.

Fried and Crist have also called on the Biden administration to acquire more vaccine doses. The U.S. endured a shortage of the Jynneos vaccine used to treat monkeypox after the first infections were reported in May.

By declaring a national emergency, Biden has started a process the federal government has to follow before it changes a vaccine-use authorization. In Florida, Redfern said the state can direct counties to conserve shots without a declaration, and that the states actions were to accommodate for delays in vaccine distribution by the federal government.

A state of emergency cant do much to speed up something that is physically unavailable, Redfern said.

One LGBTQ coalition is already planning its own outreach efforts to alert high-risk Floridians. National Black Justice Coalition Deputy Director Victoria Kirby York said Florida officials have failed to account for the states status as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, with millions of visitors hitting the beach every summer. She said previous governors, from Crist to Jeb Bush, showed compassion for human beings.

Governor DeSantis has done nothing but show that every decision hes making is about a presidential run, Kirby York said. It has little or nothing to do with the well-being of the people of Florida.

The National Black Justice Coalition was one the groups picked by drugmaker Gilead Sciences on Tuesday to receive part of a $5 million grant meant to help promote awareness about monkeypox. Kirby Yorks organization refers to the monkeypox virus as MPV due to its racial undertone.

If we want to stop this, we need to change the trajectory, and start getting into those communities and letting people know, she said. Youd think wed know by now that viruses always start in a community.

Excerpt from:

Florida rations limited supply of monkeypox vaccines as infections go up - POLITICO

Three monkeypox vaccine events will be held in New Orleans and Baton Rouge this week, health officials said Tuesday.

Monkeypox has been identified in several individuals so far in the New Orleans area, and Louisiana officials said there are likely more undiagnosed cases.

The virus isspreading mostly through close, intimate contact, and many reported caseshave been diagnosed in men who have sex with men,according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are not enough shots to currently meet the demand in Louisiana, and the events this week will be offering a limited number of vaccines on a first-come basis to eligible people, according Mindy Faciane, spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health.

Several clinics around the state are also offering vaccines to eligible people by appointment only. Here's the full list.

Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.: The Phoenix Bar, a 24-hour gay bar in the Marigny, is hosting a shot-for-shot event in partnership with the health department.

The business says 300 vaccines will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis to people who meet the eligibility criteria.

HIV testing, COVID vaccines and PrEP counseling also will be available at the event, Phoenix says.

After receiving a monkeypox shot, the customer will get a free shot of alcohol, Phoenix says. The bar also plans to offer free bottled water, snacks, music and drink specials. Read more about the event.

Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.: The Page, a gay bar at the edge of the French Quarter, is hosting a free vaccine event on Thursday to people to meet the eligibility requirements. Health officials didn't immediately know how many shots would be available.

The bar is 542 North Rampart Street.

Thursday from 4-7 p.m.: Out of the Box LGBTQ Center is hosting a free vaccine event for eligible people on Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear how many vaccines would be available.

The center is at 9148 Scotland Avenue. Read more.

Here are the eligibility criteria for the vaccine, as outlined by the Louisiana Health Department.

U.S. officials on Thursday declared a public health emergency over the outbreak, which has infected more than 6,600 Americans.

Monkeypox has been detected in Louisiana.

Monkeypox is a potentially serious virus that typically causes flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash with bumps that are initially filled with fluid before scabbing over, according to the Louisiana Health Department. Most infections last two to four weeks.

Here's what the state Health Department says you need to know about monkeypox.

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Sometimes people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms; others only experience a rash. Some people infected in the U.S. have experienced only isolated rashes in the genital region or other body parts.

Monkeypox spreads in different ways, officials said. The virus is most often spread through direct contact with a rash or sores of someone who has the virus.

People stand in long lines to receive the monkeypox vaccine at San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco, on July 12, 2022.

It can also spread through contact with clothing, bedding and other items used by a person with monkeypox, or from respiratory droplets that can be passed through prolonged face-to-face contact, including kissing, cuddling or sex.

People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.

According to the CDC, early data suggest that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases. However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.

Take basic steps to prevent the spread of monkeypox. Anyone with exposure or infection concerns should refrain from intimate or close personal contact and seek medical attention. If you do not have a health care provider, visit a parish health unit near you. Laboratory testing for monkeypox is now widely available, officials said.

Treatments and vaccinations are available for monkeypox, but physicians say bureaucratic red tape is hindering their ability to respond to and contain the outbreak.

The monkeypox treatment, TPOXX, is available only to patients and doctors under a special CDC status, because it is usually used to treat smallpox, not monkeypox.

The expanded access status requires physicians to go through more than 100 pages of paperwork each time they prescribe it. Between the forms and administrative requirements, a patient visit to initiate this medication can take one to three hours.

As a result, many people who need the drug are not receiving the necessary treatment, and the bureaucratic hurdles are hitting uninsured and minority communities particularly hard, said Mary Foote, the medical director for emergency preparedness and response in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos is one of two vaccines that may be given in the U.S. to prevent monkeypox. The government has many more doses of the other vaccine, an older smallpox vaccine called ACAM2000 that is considered to have a greater risk of side effects and is not recommended for people who have HIV. So its the Jynneos vaccine that officials have been using as a primary weapon against the outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for people who have already been exposed to the virus and their presumed contacts. That includes men who have recently had sex with men at parties or in other gatherings in cities where monkeypox cases have been identified.

The CDC estimates that about 1.5 million American men are eligible for the vaccine based on their HIV status and other risk factors.

The Associated Press and CQ-Roll Call via the Tribune Content Agency contributed to this story.

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3 monkeypox vaccine events to be held in New Orleans, Baton Rouge this week - NOLA.com

(Editors Note: A prior version of this article was updated on August 9, to clarify monkeypox vaccine eligibility and which medical providers received allotments.)

The global monkeypox outbreak is occurring primarily in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. For the general public, the current risk of contracting monkeypox remains very low.

While vaccination is an important component in containing the outbreak, the demand currently outweighs supply. The region receives monkeypox vaccine from the California Department of Public Health based on a statewide allocation formula.

Given the limited vaccine supply at this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the monkeypox vaccine for the population most at risk. These are people exposed to someone who has already been diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox infection and those with immunocompromising conditions who are at greater risk of developing severe disease or complications if they contract the virus.

This week 1,550 vaccine doses were allocated to the region and have been sent to designated healthcare systems, federally qualified health centers and clinics in the region. For those eligible and who also have a referral from a healthcare provider, vaccines are available by appointment only:

CountyPublic Health Centersalso have about 300 doses of vaccine available by appointment only and based on the eligibility criteria detailed above.

Testing is widely available through healthcare providers and involves using a swab to sample suspect skin lesions. People with no healthcare provider, who need testing, can call 2-1-1 to be referred to a provider. 2-1-1 is not presently providing vaccination appointments.

The monkeypox vaccine is a two-dose series, administered 28 days apart. Following guidance from the California Department of Public Health, given the low supply of vaccine, the County is presently recommending that first doses be administered to as many eligible people as possible. One dose of the monkeypox vaccine is 80% effective. Second doses will be administered when more vaccine is available.

Our goal is to get one dose into as many peoples eligible arms as possible, said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. When we get more vaccine, we can start giving second doses for even higher efficacy.

Since late May, the County has received 4,687 doses of monkeypox vaccine. Of those, 3,251 have been distributed and 2,267 have been administered. The number administered might be higher because it takes a few days for the vaccine registry to be updated. As more doses are allotted to the region, the County will expand distribution.

For more information about monkeypox, including risk-reduction measures that those at risk can take, visitthe Countys monkeypoxwebsite, which is updated at about 4 p.m. each weekday afternoon. To receive text messages about monkeypox, text COSD MONKEYPOX to 468-311.

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Monkeypox Vaccine: Who Is Eligible & Where They Can Get Vaccinated - countynewscenter.com

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Kent County Health Department is allocated 20 doses of monkeypox vaccine - MyEasternShoreMD

People living with HIV and other immunocompromised medical conditions remain ineligible to receive the vaccine. They hope an increase in supply will change that.

HOUSTON The monkeypox virus continues to spread locally and nationwide.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports 9,492 cases in the U.S. The Texas Department of State Health Services says 701 of those are in Texas. Local health officials report 223 cases in Harris County including 195 in the city of Houston.

Now, local health departments are gearing up to administer more vaccines using a new method authorized by the FDA. It should increase the vaccine supply but for now, there are no changes to who is eligible for the shot.

That means people with HIV are still not eligible.

"I really feel unsafe," said Josh Mica.

Mica wishes he could roll up his sleeve to get the shot.

"I don't qualify," said Mica. "A lot of my friends have had to lie to get this vaccine."

Despite living with HIV, he and others with HIV and other immunocompromised conditions remain ineligible to receive the vaccine.

"They're marginalizing one community over another one, and this time they're marginalizing the HIV community," said Mica.

"We do fully recognize that people who have immunocompromised medical conditions like HIV are at increased risk for complications should they become infected," said Houston Health Authority Dr. David Persse.

But local health officials say it comes down to vaccine supply.

"Given the amount of vaccine we have, even with the expanded guidance for the vaccine, it's still not enough for all those who are potentially eligible," said Harris County Health Authority Dr. Ericka Brown.

The city and county are working to train their teams on how to administer the vaccine via 'intradermal injection' which means just under the skin. It's a smaller dose that will help increase vaccine supply.

"Once we get enough vaccine, we can broaden the criteria for people at higher risk of complications," said Persse.

In the meantime, Mica says he has no choice but to be extra careful.

"I don't go out and socialize with friends," said Mica. "We're going back to how things were with COVID."

County and city health officials say although most monkeypox cases are overwhelmingly among men who have sex with men, monkeypox is not an STD and not a virus only impacting one group of people.

"For whoever thinks this is a gay, MSM problem only, we are already seeing in the U.S. spread within households," said Persse. "The general public needs to know about this so they can protect themselves as well.

Both Houston Health and Harris County Public Health say they hope to be ready to administer the vaccine via the new method within a week's time.

They say they are still taking appointments for vaccinations to be administered via the previous method until intradermal injections are ready to go.

Read the original here:

Houston-area health departments prepare to administer monkeypox vaccine via new method in effort to increase supply - KHOU.com

New monkeypox vaccine plan may stretch nation's limited supply

The U.S. will use smaller doses of the monkeypox vaccine in order to stretch its supply.

Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY

What is monkeypox? How do you get? Whos at risk?

The viral disease has infected over9,000 people in the United States, many cases coming after the World Health Organizationdeclared it a public health emergency in July.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported55 cases in Tennessee, including at least one in Knox County.

To help dispel misinformation, Knox News spoke with Dr. Eric Penniman of Summit Medical Group at Middlebrook to get answers straight from a family medicine physician.

Dr. Eric Penniman: Its mostly spread through close and intimate contact with somebody who has it. So, it's not like COVID, which is spread through respiratory secretions and right now spreading very, very rapidly.

From USA TODAY: Biden administration declares monkeypox a public health emergency

Read this: As monkeypox spreads, vaccine is available in Knox County. Heres who needs it most.

(Monkeypox)does not spread rapidly because you have to have very close intimate contact, typically. But (theres over9,000)cases now in the US, so it's something that people should be aware of, particularly people who are high risk.

It's spread mostly through skin-to-skin contact, specifically the fluid of one of the pustular lesions that gets on someone else's skin or spread through respiratory secretions. So, direct kissing, sharing saliva, things like that. Now somebody coughs on you and you're in close proximity, there's a chance that you could get infected as well.

The high-risk group are men who have sex or intimate relations with men, and that's mostly what we're seeing. We've seen a few cases (between family members). Family members in close contact with somebody who is infected should take caution, for sure. But so far, it's mostly a sexually transmitted disease.

Although, there is a possibility that it could be spread through direct contact with the respiratory secretions of somebody infected.

If you're a human being you're slightly at risk, certainly. The high-risk people are the ones that were most focused on, communicating to and beginning to vaccinate those in the high-risk category because the whole point of declaring a public health emergency is so that we can increase the communication and get those people vaccinated who are in high-risk groups so that hopefully we can stop spread altogether.

It would be laboratory workers who are working with samples, testing for monkeypox, as well as men who have sex or intimate relations with men.

Right now, I think the only place to get the vaccine is through (the Knox County Health Department). They do have some monkeypox vaccines but in very small quantities. The government has committed to helping to ramp up the production so that we can get high-risk people vaccinated, which should hopefully prevent somebody from getting it. And it's even effective after someone has been exposed, specifically if it's within four days of being exposed to monkeypox, getting vaccinated may help that person avoid it altogether.

The incubation period is 3 to 17days.

Isolation of those infected is very, very important and we're early enough in this outbreak to halt it.

(Someone with monkeypox is)no longer contagious once their skin lesions have healed and new skin has grown over. At that point, they're no longer contagious. So, if there's (over9,000)cases in the United States, if those (9,000) plus Americans will stay isolated, then we should stop this spread of monkeypox throughout the United States.

Fact check: Monkeypox is not a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine, experts say

Be ready: It's almost time for back to school. It's time for you to talk about monkeypox.

The bottom line is that it's largely preventable with vaccines as well as responsible people who are infected isolating. And there are some treatments for monkeypox if somebody were to get infected. It's definitely not anything to be embarrassed about and not seek medical care.

If you think you have been in contact with somebody (infected), get a hold of your physician or your local health department right away so that appropriate measures can be taken.

End of Q&A with Dr. Penniman, which has been edited for clarity and length.

Monkeypox is a viral disease that typically starts with flu-like symptoms like fever, swollen glands, muscle aches and headaches, and then a rash usually develops a few days later.

However, with the 2022 worldwide outbreak, the rash tends to be the first symptom. Lesions are first appearing in the mouthanus, and genital areas.

The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.

Though the 2022 outbreak has been linked to sexual and intimate contact between men who have sex with men, the CDC does not classify monkeypox as asexually transmitted disease and some experts say it could be problematic to frame it as such or reporting it as an illness that is only affecting men who have sex with men.

"Many people (may) think, 'Well, I'm not having sex. I'm not a gay man. So, I'm good no matter what.' When in reality, monkeypox is a contact-based disease," Dr. Stella Safo, an HIV primary care physician and founder of Just Equity For Health recently told USA TODAY.

Vaccines for monkeypox are available at the Knox County Health Department but supply is limited and those who are high-risk should look get vaccinated.

Call the health department at 865-215-5000 for more information about monkeypox vaccine access and monkeypox information.

Read more here:

Monkeypox symptoms and vaccines: Tennessee doctor on what to know - Knoxville News Sentinel

Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has received limited, additional doses of monkeypox vaccine from the federal government. MCDPH is prioritizing vaccinating those who are at highest risk of exposure to slow the spread of disease in accordance with federal requirements.

In this outbreak we know that some people are at higher risk of getting monkeypox than others, just like some groups are hit harder by diseases like cardiovascular disease or asthma, said Dr. Nick Staab, medical epidemiologist at MCDPH. At this stage in the outbreak, for most people, the overall risk of being exposed to monkeypox remains very low. For household and social contacts of people who have gotten monkeypox and others at increased risk, we want to make sure they get the protection they need so we can slow the spread at this early stage.

With vaccines coming in varying quantities at irregular intervals, MCDPH is asking people who are interested in getting vaccinated to let MCDPH know so that they can be notified as vaccine doses become available. People can check eligibility atMaricopa.gov/monkeypox, where they will also find a form to get notified about upcoming vaccine opportunities.

Monkeypox is most commonly spread through prolonged skin-to-skin contact with someone who is infected with monkeypox. Prevention measures for monkeypox are similar to those that reduce the spread of other viruses that spread in a similar way:

Symptoms often start with a fever, which may be accompanied by:

One to three days after fever starts, a rash begins, often starting on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. The rash may begin as small, flat, round discolorations that become raised and fluid-filled (clear or pus) before scabbing. These spots and the fluid in them carry virus that can infect others. Once scabs fall off, the area is no longer infectious. These spots or lesions can appear anywhere on the skin, genitals, or inside the mouth. MCDPH is encouraging healthcare providers to offer testing for patients who present with monkeypox symptoms and a new, suspicious rash. Most patients with monkeypox fully recover from the virus without treatment.

We have the tools we need to contain spread, added Dr. Staab. Vaccines are available to those who are at higher risk of exposure, testing is available through commercial labs, and treatment is available for people who are infected and at higher risk of severe illness. With a federal emergency now declared, there may be more vaccine doses and other resources that will be available in the coming weeks and months.

For local information, visitMaricopa.gov/monkeypox; for national information, visitCDC.gov/monkeypox. Residents needing assistance with the website or interest form can contact MCDPH at (602) 506-6767 for assistance.

Vaccine images and B-roll are available upon request.

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Maricopa County Prioritizes Limited Supply of Monkeypox Vaccine for High-Risk Individuals | Arizona Emergency information Network - az.gov

WASHINGTON The Biden administration has decided to stretch out its limited supply of monkeypox vaccine by allowing a different method of injection that uses one-fifth as much per shot, according to people familiar with the discussions.

In order for the Food and Drug Administration to authorize so-called intradermal injection, which would involve injecting one-fifth of the current dose into the skin instead of a full dose into underlying fat, the Department of Health and Human Services will need to issue a new emergency declaration allowing regulators to invoke the F.D.A.s emergency use powers. That declaration is expected as early as Tuesday afternoon.

The move would help alleviate a shortage of vaccine that has turned into a growing political and public health problem for the administration.

In less than three months, more than 8,900 monkeypox cases have been reported. The virus spreads from person to person primarily through close physical contact with infectious lesions.

What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a virus similar to smallpox,but symptoms are less severe. It was discovered in 1958, after outbreaks occurred in monkeys kept for research. The viruswas primarily found in parts of Central and West Africa, butrecently it has spread to dozens of countries and infected tens of thousands of people, overwhelmingly men who have sex with men.

How does it spread? The monkeypox virus can spread from person to person through close physical contactwith infectious lesions or pustules, by touching items like clothing or bedding that previously touched the rash, or via the respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. Monkeypox can also be transmitted from mother to fetus via the placenta or through close contact during and after birth.

I fear I might have monkeypox. What should I do? There is no way to test for monkeypox if you have only flulikesymptoms. But if you start to notice red lesions, you should contact an urgent care center or your primary care physician, who can order a monkeypox test. Isolate at home as soon as you develop symptoms, and wear high-qualitymasks if you must come in contact with others for medical care.

I live in New York. Can I get the vaccine? Adult men who have sex with men and who have had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days are eligible for a vaccine in New York City, as well as close contacts of infected people. Eligible people who have conditions that weaken the immune system or who have a history of dermatitis or eczema are also strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. People can book an appointment through this website.

Even though it invested more than $1 billion in developing the two-dose vaccine known as Jynneos that works against both monkeypox and smallpox, the government has only 1.1 million shots on hand. It needs about three times as many doses to cover the 1.6 million to 1.7 million Americans who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are at high risk of contracting monkeypox.

The vaccine is currently delivered in two 0.5-milliliter doses 28 days apart, with immune protection reaching its maximum 14 days after the second dose, according to the C.D.C.

The shot is recommended by the C.D.C. for people who have been exposed to monkeypox and those who might be likely to get it. Those in the latter category include people identified as a contact of someone with monkeypox, those who know a sexual partner from the last 14 days was diagnosed with the disease and those who have had multiple sexual partners in that time frame in an area with known monkeypox.

Federal health officials said last week that so far, they have distributed about 600,000 doses of the vaccine to state and local jurisdictions.

The Department of Health and Human Services last week also issued a broader public emergency declaration that allowed the federal government to more easily allot money and other resources to fight the virus.

What we consider before using anonymous sources. How do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source.

Research on intradermal injection of the monkeypox vaccine is essentially limited to one study. It showed that when the vaccine was injected between skin layers, it induced an immune response comparable to that from a standard injection into the fat underneath the skin. Federal officials have consulted with a variety of outside groups about switching to the intradermal injection approach, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America, according to people familiar with the talks.

Some outside experts have criticized the data backing up the method for monkeypox as too thin and narrowly focused. The governments decision to go with it is heavily based on a 2015 study that was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. John Beigel, an N.I.H. associate director of clinical research who has briefed federal health officials and the World Health Organization, said that switching to the intradermal method was a better option for preserving vaccine than administering just one of the two recommended doses, as some jurisdictions now do. One shot does not prompt nearly as strong an immune response as two, he said.

The upside is you can stretch out doses, said John P. Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. The downside is, if you cut it too far or take too many liberties, you reduce the efficacy. And how are you going to know that? Its educated guesswork.

The intradermal method can be complicated for vaccinators, who must guide a needle into a thin space. If a vaccinator goes too deep and inserts the dose into fat, the patient might not receive enough vaccine, experts say. But if the needle is not inserted far enough, some of the vaccine could leak back out.

Such shots typically induce more redness and swelling, but are less painful than a standard injection, the 2015 study showed.

They have previously been used in polio vaccination campaigns, for rabies and with tuberculosis skin tests.

The National Institutes of Health had planned further studies into how well such shots work with the monkeypox vaccine, but the results were not expected until the late fall or early winter. Over the weekend, top federal officials came to a consensus that the government needed to embrace the approach now.

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U.S. Moves to Stretch Out Monkeypox Vaccine Supply - The New York Times