As Monkeypox cases continue to rise nationally and in the State of Ohio, the Portsmouth City and Scioto County Health Departments are initiating a vaccine campaign to prevent the spread of the disease in Scioto County.
At this time, Scioto County has zero confirmed cases of Monkeypox, however, it is the goal of the health departments to respond proactively to this disease. In the State of Ohio most cases (96%) have been among men, and while not considered a sexually transmitted disease, there has been a strong correlation to sexual activity.
At this time, the vaccine is not being offered to the general public but to individuals that been exposed to monkeypox and people who may be more likely to get monkeypox. People more likely to get monkeypox include:
– People who have been told by their health department that they are a contact of someone diagnosed with monkey pox.
– People who find out a sexual partner in the past two weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox.
– People who had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks in an area with known monkeypox, such as a large metropolitan area like Columbus, Ohio.
We are asking members of the community are at greater risk to register to receive their first dose of the JYNNEOS vaccine. Vaccine supplies are currently low but will begin to pick up within the coming months. Registering ahead of time helps to ensure that those most at risk are able to receive vaccination as quickly as possible.
Please see the attached online registration link to be added to the list for vaccination.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DADA92EA4FFC07-monkeypox
If you would like more information on the JYNNEOS vaccine and Monkeypox virus please see the following resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/smallpox-monkeypox.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html
https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/mpx/monkeypox-dashboard
If you have further questions or concerns, please contact Epidemiologist Molly Dargavell at 740-354-8931 or email [email protected].
