New York State expands monkeypox vaccine eligibility
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) will distribute over 15,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine to eligible New Yorkers. The vaccines will also now be made available to all individuals at risk of becoming infected, the department said Wednesday. This includes people with recent exposure to a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case within the past 14 days.
"By expanding eligibility, we are hopeful that many more New Yorkers will get immunized and prevent further transmission," State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said. "This distribution plan, and the eligibility expansion, will enable us to get the vaccine to more individuals across the state before they are exposed."
The state said that before the expansion, eligibility was limited to those who were likely exposed. People with known exposure to a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case in the past 14 days should work directly with their local health department and healthcare provider to discuss obtaining the JYNNEOS vaccine as soon as possible.
Under the new NYSDOH guidance, exposure includes the following:
- Individuals with recent exposure to a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case within the past 14 days.
- Those at high risk of recent exposure to monkeypox, including:
- Gay men and members of the bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming community.
- Other communities of men who have sex with men.
- Those who have engaged in intimate, or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days in areas where monkeypox is spreading.
- Individuals who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity.
- Any individual who may be at risk of future exposure to infection with monkeypox, even though they are not at high risk of a recent exposure.
In the coming days, 3,840 vials of the vaccine will be shipped in from the federal government. 100 of those doses will be delivered to Albany County.