SLO County monkeypox vaccine clinic will offer 150 shots. Here’s how to get one
The Gala Pride and Diversity Center and the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department planned a monkeypox (MPX) vaccine clinic in early September for community members at the highest risk of exposure to the virus.
“We’re grateful to Gala and all our community partners for working with us to help ensure that community members who are currently most at risk have access to vaccine and to practical information about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from MPX,” County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in a Public Health news release, using the now-preferred name for monkeypox.
MPX often causes flu-like symptoms before the characteristic rashes or sores develop, the release said.
The clinic comes after a summertime surge in MPX cases in places where virus does not typically occur, including in California, according to a Public Health news release.
“Right now in California, gay and bisexual men are most at risk from this virus,” Gala Executive Director Dusty Colyer-Worth said in the release. “We want our LGBTQ+ community to know: There are steps you can take to protect yourself, and the vaccine is an important part of that.”
One MPX case has been confirmed in SLO County so far, according to Public Health.
Colyer-Worth told the Tribune in August that local MPX cases could be underreported because of stigma attached to the virus.
150 MPX vaccines will be available at SLO clinic
Until recently, San Luis Obispo County and other communities had a shortage of MPX vaccine available and was prioritizing people who had documented exposure to the virus, according to health officials.
The vaccine supply is steadily improving. About 150 doses of the MPX vaccine will be available during the September clinic, the release said.
The MPX vaccine will be administered intradermally, or under a few layers of skin similar to a tuberculosis test, instead of subcutaneously, like the COVID-19 vaccine, the news release said.
On Aug. 9, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for intradermal administration of the MPX vaccine as a way to stretch the limited supply, according to the California Department of Public Health.
“As a result of the (Emergency Use Authorization), the United States is approaching being able to provide two doses of vaccine to the 1.6 million individuals across the country most at risk of contracting the virus,” the White House said in a Tuesday statement.
MPX spreads primarily through close, often skin-to-skin contact with symptomatic patients and less commonly by handling unwashed materials, such as towels, sheets or clothing, used by someone with symptoms, the release said.
MPX is not an airborne virus nor does it spread through brief contact with someone, like passing them on the street, the release said.
Am I eligible for an MPX vaccine?
San Luis Obispo County residents must be older than 18 in order to get an MPX vaccine. Other eligibility criteria are:
- Identify as gay, bisexual or a man or transgender person who has sex with men, OR
- Identify as sex worker of any sexual orientation or gender identity, including those who engage in transactional or survival sex work, OR
- Have had close contact with a person diagnosed with MPX
“The goal is for everyone who wants a vaccine to be able to get vaccine,” Borenstein said.
How can I protect myself from MPX?
Until vaccine eligibility expands with supply, there are steps all community members can take to protect themselves from contracting MPX.
- Talk to close contacts, including sexual partners, about any recent illnesses and be aware of any new or unexplained sores or rashes on your body or your partner’s body
- Postpone intimate skin-to-skin contact with people with MPX symptoms like rashes or sores until sores have fully healed and a new skin layer formed
- Avoid contact with unwashed items or fabrics (bedding, towels, clothing) used by someone with MPX symptoms like rashes and sores
- Wash hands thoroughly and often
- If caring for a symptomatic MPX patient, use personal protective equipment like a mask, gown, eye protection and gloves
- Talk to your healthcare provide if you experience an unusual rash, with or without flu-like symptoms
The SLO County Public Health Department’s healthcare navigators will help community members without a healthcare provider identify one.
“I hope everyone who wants to get vaccinated will come out to this event to get protected, get information, and enjoy some food and camaraderie. We will get through this outbreak together,” Colyer-Worth said.
The MPX vaccine clinic is on Sept. 7 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1060 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo.
