Washington, D.C., residents who qualify for monkeypox vaccinations will no longer have to pre-register for the shots, and can visit walk-up clinics in the city, health officials announced Thursday.
DC Health said that the city's three monkeypox clinics will transition to walk-up only beginning Friday.
D.C. Monkeypox Vaccine Clinic Locations
- 1900 I Street NW; Hours: Sunday-Friday 12-8 p.m.
- 7530 Georgia Avenue NW; Hours: Sunday-Friday 12-8 p.m.
- 3640 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE; Hours: Monday-Saturday 12-8 p.m.
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DC Health encouraged residents to follow its social media channels for updates on vaccine availability at each clinic site.
Residents who received their first dose through a pre-registered appointment will receive guidance via email on obtaining their second vaccination dose, the health department said.
Starting Friday, people who receive their first dose of the monkeypox vaccine will receive a written reminder on when to return for their second dose. The second dose of the monkeypox vaccine should be administered between 24 and 32 days after the initial dose, however, it can also be effective if administered more than 32 days after the initial dose, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.
Who Is Eligible for the Monkeypox Vaccine in DC?
D.C. residents who meet the following criteria are eligible for the vaccine:
- All people, of any sexual orientation or gender, who have had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks, including those currently considered highest risk: gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, transgender men, and transgender women
- Men who have sex with men who are non-monogamous
- Sex workers
- Staff at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs)
- People of any sexual orientation or gender who are living with HIV/AIDS or have been diagnosed with any sexually transmitted infection in the past three months.
Monkeypox Cases on Decline in DC
DC Health reported 13 new monkeypox cases for the 10-day period between Sept. 5-15, which, as of Thursday, is the most recent data set the city has released. The health department releases data on monkeypox cases every week.
There were 33 new cases from Aug. 26-Sept. 5 and 33 new cases in the 10-day period before that, Aug. 16-26, according to DC Health.
There have been a total of 488 cases in the city since the outbreak began in May.
Maryland Expands Eligibility for Monkeypox Vaccines
The Maryland Department of Health announced Thursday it's expanding monkeypox vaccine access to state residents who meet the following criteria:
- Anyone of any sexual orientation or gender identity who has had multiple or unknown sexual partners in the past two weeks, including those considered higher risk: gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, and immunocompromised individuals
- Anyone of any sexual orientation or gender identity who are aware that one or more of their sexual partners from the past two weeks has been exposed to monkeypox
Maryland residents interested in the vaccine can pre-register here. Pre-registration is for the first dose only, and the recommended second dose will be coordinated for each individual by the first dose provider or local health department, the state health department said.
Virginia Monkeypox Vaccine Qualifications
Virginia expanded its qualifications for the monkeypox vaccines in late August to include state residents who have had anonymous or multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks, sex workers and people who work at places where sexual activity occurs. Virginia residents can use this health department locator tool to find their health district and learn where they can get a vaccine.
Go here for more information on symptoms and what some people who have contracted monkeypox have gone through.
