MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — The Mobile County Health Department has confirmed they received vaccines for the monkeypox virus, according to a release from the MCHD Friday morning.
“To help prevent illness from the virus, MCHD will offer vaccines and monitor for early signs of illness in eligible persons,” read the release. Just under 24 hours ago, the Biden Administration declared the monkeypox virus a public health emergency.
Families who are in the Family Health’s Ryan White Program wishing to get the vaccine should make an appointment by calling 251-690-8889. The vaccine administered will be the Jynneos vaccine.
All others who would like to receive the vaccine can register through MCHD’s Bureau of Disease Surveillance and Control in which you will need to fill out some information. According to the release, a person must meet the “Alabama Department of Public Health’s expanded criteria for the vaccine,” and then they will be contacted by phone or email from the MCHD. The necessary information for obtaining a vaccine will be given over that phone call or email.
The three questions asked, which are ‘yes’ or no,’ are as follows:
- Are you 18 or older, without symptoms of Monkeypox infection?
- Are you a person who has male to male sexual contact?
- If not, do you have another risk for monkeypox infection?
“Jynneos vaccine is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection. At this time, Jynneos allocation to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is extremely limited and prioritized for persons with high-risk exposure to a person diagnosed with monkeypox,” according to the release.
People will also have the opportunity for the vaccine through the MCHD app on smartphones under ‘more’ and then ‘sign up for monkeypox vaccination’. Use this link to download the app.
According to the release, there is a very limited supply of the Jynneos vaccine and “post-exposure prophylaxis,” will only be available to those “who are known to have been exposed within the previous 14 days to a person with monkeypox, or to a person attending an event at a venue where monkeypox virus was known to have been transmitted.”
The first case of Monkeypox in the state of Alabama was in Mobile County on July 15. Since then, the state of Alabama has confirmed 19, while Florida has 577 and Mississippi has six.
For more information about the monkeypox virus and vaccines, you can call the MCDH’s Bureau of Disease Surveillance and Control at 251-690-8175.
