High-risk people can be vaccinated against monkeypox

COLORADO RATIONS AVAILABLE VACCINES

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The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is prioritizing high-risk individuals for the monkeypox vaccine. “Given the current outbreak, our goal right now is to reduce the spread of monkeypox among people at risk, and to that end, we will use all of our available doses to vaccinate as many eligible people as we can,” Eric said. France, Medical Director of the CDPHE.

Immunization appointments are available to Coloradans who self-certify their eligibility through the appointment request form. Eligible Coloradans include men age 18 and older who are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the past 14 days.

Anyone who believes they have been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox in the past 14 days is also eligible for the vaccine. Anyone can get monkeypox through close contact with someone who has the virus. Monkeypox can start with flu-like symptoms that can include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion.

Other symptoms

A rash or bumps on the skin usually develop within one to three days following the onset of the fever, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. Monkeypox can resemble syphilis, herpes, blisters, or even acne. In recent cases, the additional symptoms did not always occur before the rash or bumps, if at all.

Coloradans should avoid physical contact with others if they think they have been exposed to monkeypox or if they experience symptoms. It is important to communicate with a healthcare provider. If the vaccine is given four days after exposure, it can help prevent people from getting sick; if given within the first two weeks after exposure, it decreases the severity of the disease.

Update

Following the announcement by the US Department of Human and Health Services (HHS) about the increase in the number of vaccines against monkeypox, the CDPHE has reported:

“The CDPHE continues to work with federal partners to obtain more vaccines from federal supply. At this time, the federal government allocates vaccines by state based on population and prevalence of monkeypox. Colorado has received 6,205 doses so far, and we are waiting to learn what our phase 3 allocation will be from the federal government.

CDPHE adopted a monkeypox vaccination strategy that prioritizes administering first doses of Jynneos to as many high-risk people as possible, as opposed to reserving vaccines for second doses, Typically, Jynneos is given as a two-dose series, with the doses administered four weeks apart

As the supply of Jynneos vaccine from the federal government remains extremely limited, this strategy will allow the state to open additional vaccination appointments for Coloradans at high risk at clinics being planned through the end of August. Prioritizing first doses will help provide the broadest protection possible against the spread of monkeypox in Colorado.

Colorado plans to administer second doses of Jynneos as soon as the federal supply of vaccine allows. We will communicate with Coloradans who received first doses about when second doses are available and how to receive them. Coloradans who self-attest to being immunocompromised can get a second dose four weeks after the first dose to ensure they achieve maximum protection.”