For Immediate Release:
July 8, 2022

Public Health Expanding Monkeypox Vaccination Eligibility Beginning Monday, July 11

With the arrival of an additional 6,000 JYNNEOS doses this week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is expanding the eligibility criteria for residents to receive the monkeypox vaccine. However, due to continued limited supply of JYNNEOS vaccine from the federal government, vaccine is still being allotted, in alignment with the national monkeypox vaccine strategy, to Los Angeles County residents at higher risk of exposure.

Beginning Monday, July 11, monkeypox vaccines will become available by invitation only to:

• Patients of community STD and HIV clinics, Public Health Centers, and other community clinics located across Los Angeles County who meet the following clinical criteria:
  • Gay and bisexual men and transgender women who are patients of an STD clinic with a diagnosis of rectal gonorrhea or early syphilis within the past 3 months, as both of these sexually transmitted infections can increase the risk of monkeypox transmission through the genital sores caused by these infections.
• A limited number of high-risk individuals identified by clinical staff at Men?s Central Jail.

Public Health or clinic partners will directly communicate to eligible patients to provide details on how and where to access the JYNNEOS vaccine.

Public Health will continue to provide monkeypox vaccines by invitation only to the following select groups of persons identified through public health investigation, including:

• Persons confirmed by Public Health to have had high- or intermediate-risk contact with someone with monkeypox, as defined by CDC.
• Persons who attended an event/venue where there was high risk of exposure to an individual(s) with confirmed monkeypox virus through skin-to-skin or sexual contact. Public Health will work with event/venue organizers to identify persons who may have been present and at risk of exposure while at the venue.

With the JYNNEOS vaccine supply extremely limited in the United States, residents who have not been contacted by Public Health or clinic partners are not able to be vaccinated at this time. Public Health will expand eligibility as additional doses are available; the federal government anticipates distributing additional doses later this month.

Persons with symptoms should speak with their regular provider or call 2-1-1 if they do not have a provider. In addition, people without a regular provider that have developed a rash in the genital or perianal area, can access services at Public Health?s Sexual Health Clinics.

Monkeypox, an uncommon disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, is?rarely fatal. Monkeypox can spread when a person has close, physical contact with a person infected with monkeypox virus or when a person comes in contact with materials (e.g., bedding, towels) that are contaminated with the virus. The monkeypox virus can also spread from animals to people.

The monkeypox virus can spread by:

• Touching monkeypox lesions on a person?s skin
• Touching contaminated objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, towels), and surfaces that have been in contact with someone with monkeypox
• Coming into contact with respiratory droplets or secretions from the eyes, nose and mouth from a person with monkeypox

To prevent the spread of the monkeypox virus, persons should avoid:

• Oral, anal, and vaginal sex, or touching the genitals or anus of someone with monkeypox
• Hugging, massaging, kissing, or talking closely with someone with monkeypox
• Touching shared fabrics, shared surfaces, and objects (e.g. sex toys) used by someone with monkeypox
• Sexual or intimate contact with an individual that has lesions on their skin or in their mouth

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For more information, please visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/monkeypox/ ???