DC expands monkeypox vaccine eligibility

The new language highlights that those most at risk are still gays, bisexuals and other men who have sex with men, transgender men and transgender women.

Under the new criteria, anyone working in the district, attending a college or college in Washington, DC, or receiving care through a Washington, DC Department of Health program, must: you can get the vaccine. The vaccine was previously intended only for her DC residents.

“This new language is intended to remove the stigma from individuals who may need the vaccine,” said Patrick Ashley, Senior Deputy Director of Health. “As you know, monkeypox can infect anyone. We want individuals to have access.”

The district had more cases than any other state as of Friday — 321 as of Friday — but Ashley said people were responding to intrusive questions about their behavior and responding to other specific questions. We believe there is less demand for vaccines because people may feel uncomfortable sharing details.

City pre-registration site, preventmonkeypox.dc.govhe said, will be updated on Saturday to reflect new strategies and the reality that people may not feel comfortable sharing personal information in government-run clinics.

Instead of identifying the behavior that qualifies an individual for vaccination, they only need to prove that they meet one of the criteria. Those attending the Friday Walkup Clinic do not need to provide their name or date of birth when filling out the survey prior to being vaccinated.

“Of course, it means we attacked everyone who had an interest,” says Ashley. “I think there is still a community out there that might be interested but may be reluctant to announce very specific information or required standards in the clinic.”

The city has administered 15,671 doses of Jyennos, the only vaccine approved to treat monkeypox, out of 21,755 doses received from the federal government. A further 400 bookings are expected by August 16th.

More than 28,700 district residents have pre-enrolled for the vaccine, but public health officials estimate that the number eligible could triple.

District public health officials have asked health departments in Virginia and Maryland to share vaccines to accommodate residents who work and go to school in Washington, D.C., Ashley said.

Maryland has reported 259 monkeypox cases as of Thursday, according to the CDC Tracker. Virginia has 186 cases, state data updated Friday shows. Both states have thousands of vaccinations waiting for arms.

Virginia has received 13,459 doses, administered 3,143 doses and has not been allocated more than 10,300 doses, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Health said Friday.

A spokesman for the Maryland Department of Health declined to reveal how many vaccines are on shelves in Maryland, but Ashley said Maryland, like Virginia, has thousands of vaccines. Said it was available. He believes this is a problem caused by the federal government’s distribution program.

“The more barriers we can remove, the more people can get vaccinated,” he said. “We don’t want these vaccines to remain on the shelf.”

Federal officials this week New strategy to grow Hundreds of thousands of Genos doses turn into millions as local health departments struggle to allocate limited doses.

According to Ashley, DC will be able to perform a one-fifth dose procedure during the week of August 22nd.

Meanwhile, those who work with high-risk individuals said intrusive questions can be barriers to access.

DeMarc Hickson, executive director of Us Helping Us, which provides medical, behavioral health, and social services to black gay and bisexual men and black transgender women, said of two DC clinics his organization hosted. A second of the clinics said it has seen a drop in vaccine uptake this week.

About 70 people were vaccinated at the DC event in July, up from about 50 this week. Referred to another clinic.

“If we really want to eliminate prejudice, it is better than eliminating prejudices like narrowly defined questions.

Peter DeMartino, director of infectious disease prevention and health services at the Maryland Department of Health, said questions about sexual behavior should be answered because eligibility is behavior-based.

“As a gay man, I have been answering these questions since I was a teenager.” It has been monitored by hygiene.”

The virus is spread primarily through personal, often skin-to-skin contact, including contact with rashes, crusts, or bodily fluids of monkeypox patients. CDC says.

“We don’t have enough resources to provide comprehensive coverage,” he said. “We are watching that data like hawks, and as the data evolves, so will our response.”