Important Monkeypox Information

Monkeypox is a disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Anyone can get monkeypox, but the vast majority of current cases involve gay or bisexual men. If you or your partner have recently been sick, currently feel sick, or have a new or an unexplained rash, do not have sex and see your CommUnityCare/ David Powell provider.

The Vaccine

CDC recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed to monkeypox. At this time, CommUnityCare is offering a limited supply of the Jynneos vaccine for Monkeypox to existing patients who are at higher risk of being exposed to the virus. Eligibility is determined by state and federal guidelines and this guidance may change.

You may be eligible for the Jynneos vaccine for Monkeypox if you:

• have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Monkeypox in the past 14 days;

• have had multiple sex partners or anonymous sex partners or attended venues where sex occurs in the past 21 days;

  • CDC has prioritized the following groups: cisgender gay or bisexual males; transgender people; any male who has sex with other male partners; anyone taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention

• have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the last 12 months (including HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis)

You should not receive the Jynneos vaccine at this time if you have already been diagnosed with Monkeypox in the past. If you have a history of a severe allergy to any component of the vaccine you may be asked to discuss in more detail with a healthcare provider.

Symptoms of Monkeypox

Symptoms of Monkeypox include (but not limited to) a rash, fever, muscle and back aches. The rash can look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy. Symptoms usually start within 3 weeks of exposure to the virus.

How Monkeypox spreads

Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close, often intimate skin-to-skin contact, including:

• Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox. This direct contact can happen during oral, anal, and vaginal sex or touching the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butthole) of a person with monkeypox

• Hugging, massage, kissing, prolonged face-to-face contact

• Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox and not disinfected

• Contact with respiratory secretions

• A pregnant person can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta

Action Steps

• If you have symptoms of monkeypox, you should talk to your CommunityCare provider, even if you don’t think you had contact with someone who has monkeypox.

• A rave, party, or club where there is minimal clothing and where there is often skin-to-skin contact has some risk for monkeypox. Avoid any rash you see on others and consider minimizing skin-to-skin contact.

• Enclosed spaces, such as back rooms, saunas, sex clubs, or private and public sex parties where intimate, often anonymous sexual contact with multiple partners occurs, may have a higher likelihood of spreading monkeypox.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Published: August 9, 2022. Updated: August 22, 2022.