San Diego County's Health and Human Services Agency will sponsor two Monkeypox vaccination events for at-risk individuals.
The county will administer about 800 monkeypox vaccines on July 28 and July 29 by appointment only in partnership with LGBTQ representatives and organizations. Appointments are expected to fill quickly.
Those who wish to get vaccinated can call 211 to schedule an appointment.
Along with the two vaccine events, the County has sent about 900 doses to local vaccine providers such as UC San Diego, Family Health Centers of San Diego, Vista Community Clinic, and San Ysidro Health. San Diego County’s STD clinics also have some doses available for patients seen at those clinics.
“The virus is primarily spreading in gay and bisexual men who have more than one sexual partner or attend sex parties, but anyone who is exposed can get it,” Cameron Kaiser, M.D., M.P.H., County deputy public health officer said in a statement. “Having intimate contact or anonymous sex with people you meet in dating or hook-up apps increases your risk of contracting the virus. Please ask your partners about recent illnesses or rashes.”
Local health officials said the state allocates vaccines to counties based on the number of monkeypox and syphilis cases in men reported in a region. San Diego County has received about 2,200 doses and has 20 confirmed and probable cases.
The county said it will receive 80 courses of tecovirimat or TPOXX, an antiviral medication, to treat those infected with monkeypox. The treatment will be administered through the county's established healthcare partners, with priority to patients who may be at risk of complications.
Collaborations between County health officials and LGBTQ representatives will continue to determine how and where vaccines should be distributed when more doses become available. There will be continued collaboration to spread appropriate messages on virus education and information.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the acute shortage of vaccinations is expected to continue into 2023.
