New Yorkers hoping to get an appointment for the monkeypox vaccine will have to wait a bit longer as the city waits to receive additional doses.
The city’s Health Department was expected to open more appointments Sunday after the only clinic offering the vaccine overwhelmed supply and staff. Late in the morning, his Twitter account announced that those appointments would not be available until more doses of the vaccine arrived.
NYC is still waiting to receive additional doses of the monkeypox vaccine. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer additional appointments or honor walk-ins yet. We will update when more appointments are available.
Check for updates: https://t.co/hR9Yuw1w2G
— nychealthy (@nycHealthy) June 26, 2022
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New York City began offering monkeypox vaccination Thursday to at-risk groups, but demand was so high that within hours of the program’s launch, the city had to cancel walk-ins.
According to the city update on Friday, at least 39 people have tested positive for the virus in the city since early May, almost all of them men who have sex with men. The number of cases is up 30% from the Health Department report the day before.
Unlike in the early days of COVID, when there was no effective treatment, there are already multiple vaccines that work against the orthopoxvirus that causes the disease. Supply, however, is the issue.
In total, New York City accounts for more than 20% of all diagnosed cases nationwide.
The Department of Health announced Thursday the opening of a temporary clinic to administer the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine to qualifying individuals who may have recently been exposed to monkeypox, the city announced. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said anxiety, particularly among sexually active gay and bisexual men, prompted the city’s decision to make vaccines available.
The shots will be administered at the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic (303 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan). The clinic will be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
But as of 2 p.m. Thursday, just three hours after opening its doors, the city said no more walk-ins would be seen and all appointments were filled through Monday. Our sister network News 4 counted more than 100 people lining up outside the clinic at the time.
One person in line to get vaccinated said many appointments sold out about 10 minutes after they became available online.
The Health Department advised people to check back on Sunday for more appointments next week. Walk-ins are no longer allowed due to demand.
“We are in discussions with the CDC for more doses and are looking into how we can increase our capacity citywide,” the Health Department said.
Mark Levine, the Manhattan Borough President, tweeted that the city had only been allocated about 1,000 doses of the vaccine from the national stockpile.
How do you get monkeypox?
The CDC issued a new guide to monkey pox last weekas the number of suspected cases rose across the country, marking the largest monkeypox outbreak in US history, which has generally been confined to other continents.
Although the CDC say the risk to the general public remains low, People are urged to avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin or genital lesions, as well as sick or dead animals. Anyone showing symptoms, such as unexplained rashes or lesions, should contact their health care provider for guidance.
It is also advisable to avoid the consumption of meat that comes from wild game or the use of products (such as creams, powders or lotions) that come from wild animals in Africa.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958, when outbreaks occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, giving rise to its name.
The first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which still has the majority of infections. Other African countries where it has been found: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.
The human symptoms of monkeypox are similar to but milder than the symptoms of smallpox, according to the CDC. It presents as a flu-like illness accompanied by swollen lymph nodes and a rash on the face and body.
Monkeypox begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. Monkeypox also causes the lymph nodes to swell, something that smallpox does not. The incubation period is usually 7 to 14 days, but can range from 5 to 21 days.
The CDC is urging healthcare providers in the US to be vigilant for patients who have skin rashes consistent with monkeypox, regardless of whether they have traveled or are at specific risk of contracting it. See more information about the travel advisory here.
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