Monkeypox in Provincetown: here’s an update – Wicked Local

Leigh Blander| Special to Provincetown Banner

White House plans monkeypox action for gay events

The White House said Tuesday it is taking new actions to combat the monkeypox (MPV) outbreak and protect individuals most at risk of contracting the virus by providing additional vaccines to states and cities holding gay events. (Aug. 30)

AP

PROVINCETOWN Provincetown health officials have administered more than 4,350 monkeypox vaccines and anticipate the health emergency will quiet down in the community moving forward.

As we move into the fall, the demand for vaccines here should be minimal, saidAndrew Jorgensen, chief medical officer at Outer Cape Health Services.

Monkeypox is a disease caused by infection from a virus, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodesand chills. It also causes a rash that looks like pimples or blisters, which can appear on the face, in the mouth, the anus, genitalsandother parts of the body.

The disease is rarely lethal, butcan cause discomfort.

Everybody who has requested a vaccine here in Provincetown has been provided with an appointment, Jorgensensaid.

The medical facilityhas additional vaccines available, if needed, but Jorgensen declined to say how many.

Outer Cape Health Services is one of 15 sites identified by the state as a vaccine center. People looking for a vaccine can call the medical facility at 508-905-2888. Appointments can also be made by visiting the Provincetown center at 49 Harry Kemp Way.

There have been 21,504confirmed monkeypox cases reported in the United States, 347in Massachusetts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Sept. 8.

The state Department of Public Health only issues statewide totals on monkeypox cases, unlike town-specific case totals that are released weekly for COVID-19.

More: Is Provincetown safe to visit? Here's the latest on COVID cases, and answers to questions about monkeypox

Outer Cape Health Services has tested a few dozen people for monkeypox, said Jorgensen.

It hasnt been widespread," he said. "Its been limited to a few individuals who even had the possibility of having monkeypox.

And the numbers keep dropping.

Its been several weeks since weve seen any positive cases here in Provincetown, he said.

For anyone who is worried they may have contracted monkeypox, Jorgensen has this advice: contact your healthcare provider to discuss it.

Monkeypox can initially look like COVID, where individuals have a fever and muscle aches, he said.

If youre not feeling well, stay home, Jorgensen said.

If you have monkeypox, it will be fever, malaise, fatigue and within four or five days youll have a rash, he continued. Just stay home.

Jorgensen believes Provincetowns rapid response to monkeypox, and its public education campaign may have helped keep the case numbers low.

The state Department of Public Health on May 18confirmed in a public announcement the firstcase of monkeypox virus infection in Massachusetts in an adult manwhohad recently traveled to Canada.

More: Monkeypox ishitting the gay community the hardest, state official says

The outbreak is part of an international outbreaktraced tothe United Kingdom, Kevin Cranston,the state's public healthdepartment assistant commissioner and director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, said at the forum June 28, hosted on by the town of Provincetown.

Monkeypox is hitting thegay community the hardest, especially gay and bisexual men, Cranston said at the forum.However, he emphasizedthatall people are equally at risk of contracting it.

Even though there are more cases amongst gay and bisexual men, there is no such thing as a gay disease, he said.

Avoid blaming people for their identity. The virus is to blame, Cranstonsaid.

Provincetown is a hub for LGBTQvisitors during the summer.

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The disease is spread through skin-to-skincontact, but can also be spread through extensive face-to-face, respiratory contact, though that form is transmissionis less likely.

A person needs to be symptomaticto be contagious, he said. Thatcan include flu-like symptoms and the emergence of skin changes, such as lesions and sores.

Without a doubt, public health education and outreach, coupled with the availability of vaccines earlier than almost every other community helped keep our community safe, Town Manager Alex Morse said.

Beginning at the end of June, the Provincetown health department disseminated nearly 3,000 postcards with QR codes directing people to the towns monkeypox webpage. The postcards went to restaurants, bars and lodgings.

Any way you can convey information to people who need it, you have to take those steps, said Provincetown Health Agent Lezli Rowell. We wanted to give people a quick and simple tool to get information. Everyones walking around with a cell phone and weve all become accustomed to using QR codes.

The town also hosted thepublic forum about monkeypox on June 28.

That was an awesome way to reach a lot of people and reach a lot of people quickly, Rowell said. We had expert voices sharing information that wasnt alarmist, but was real, candid and specific to our situation.

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Provincetown received vaccine doses earlier than many communities. Gerald Desautels, senior development and communications officer at Outer Cape Health Services, said there are two reasons for that.

First, Provincetown did a good job distributing COVID-19vaccines and boosters, ultimately having one of the highest vaccination rates in the state, Desautels said.

Outer Cape Health Services operates nonprofit community health centers in Harwich Port, Wellfleet and Provincetown, treating more than 20,000 people annually, according to the agency's website.

Second,the monkeypox vaccine from the state became available right before the busy July and August summer season in Provincetownand the Provincetown demographic closely matched those most at risk for contracting monkeypox in the community of men who have sex with men, Desautels said.

"We were a logical early choice to get shots in arms, he said.

Staff writer Mary Ann Bragg contributed to this story.

For more information, visit the monkeypox information page provided by the town of Provincetownat https://www.provincetown-ma.gov/1420/Monkeypox-Information.

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Monkeypox in Provincetown: here's an update - Wicked Local