BOSTON (WHDH) - Massachusetts residents who are concerned about their risk of contracting monkeypox can now get vaccinated against the disease at several locations.
The state received a federal allocation of 2,004 doses of the vaccine on July 5. More is expected to come in the coming weeks.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has released a list of CDC eligibility requirements for people to receive doses of the FDA-approved JYNNEOS vaccine for both smallpox and monkeypox. These include:
- Known contacts identified by public health via case investigation, contact tracing, and risk exposure assessments (this may include sexual partners, household contacts, and healthcare workers); as well as
- Presumed contacts who know that a sexual partner in the last 14 days was diagnosed with monkeypox or had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days in a jurisdiction with known monkeypox cases
Those who meet those eligibility criteria can get vaccinated by appointment only at the following locations:
- Fenway Health, Boston: Appointments can be made by calling 617-927-6060 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Massachusetts General Hospital Sexual Health Clinic, Boston: Appointments can be made by calling 617-726-2748 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Boston Medical Center Infectious Disease Clinic, Boston: Appointments can be made by calling 617-414-4290 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Outer Cape Cod Health Services, Provincetown: Appointments can be made by calling 508-905-2888 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Vaccines are in limited supply, and their use is currently restricted to patients with the highest risk.
The full course of the vaccine requires two doses spread 28 days apart. Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks out from their second dose.
Massachusetts currently has 31 confirmed doses of monkeypox, the sixth-highest count in the country. New York has the highest number of cases at 122.
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