Limited targeted vaccine available to prevent monkeypox
August 9, 2022
According to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), a vaccine intended to prevent monkeypox is now available statewide on a limited and targeted basis.
Public health experts are tracking an outbreak of monkeypox that has spread to several countries that do not normally report the disease, including the United States. has not yet been confirmed.
Dr. Alexia Harist, state health officer and WDH epidemiologist, said monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. “The disease is usually characterized by a rash and may be accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.
Harist noted that while monkeypox is rarely fatal, it can be uncomfortable and painful, and can cause serious illness in some people.
“Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close personal contact,” she said. Hmm.”
“I recommend vaccination for people who have had monkeypox and for people who are likely to get monkeypox based on the current epidemic and its spread,” Harist said. Anyone can get it, but at this time, the limited vaccine supply limits vaccine eligibility to those at highest risk.”
The following adults are eligible for pre-exposure vaccination if they live or work in Wyoming.
- Men who have had sex with men and had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the past year
- Men’s partners who had sex with men who had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the past year
- Transgender and nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have had sex with a male or multiple or anonymous sexual partners who are male within the past year
- sex workers (regardless of gender)
Immunizations will begin the week of August 15th. Eligible adults interested in immunization appointments should contact their local public health department. A list of public health offices by county can be found at https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/nursing/phn-co-offices/. You can also call WDH at 307-777-6004 to find the public health department in your area.
Available doses of monkeypox vaccine are provided free of charge by the federal government through states, but a small administration fee may be charged.
Monkeypox is related to smallpox, but the symptoms are similar but milder. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
Wyoming-related information and the latest information on monkeypox can be found at the following websites:
https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/monkeypox/.
More virus facts, prevention recommendations, and data are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html).