DC residents are now able to pre-register for appointments to receive monkeypox vaccination through an online system.
DC Health launched on Tuesday a pre-registration system for residents wishing to get vaccinated against monkeypox to schedule appointments.
“Monkeypox (MPX) is a rare, but potentially serious viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with body fluid or monkeypox lesions,” according to DC Health.
Eligibility criteria for monkeypox vaccine in DC are as follows:
- You must be a District resident 18 years of age or older
- AND if you are a:
-
- Gay, bisexual, or other man 18 and older who has sex with men and has had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days); OR
- Transgender woman or nonbinary person assigned male at birth who has sex with men; OR
- Sex worker (of any sex); OR
- Staff (of any sex) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first monkeypox case in the country on May 18, 2022.
On June 4, 2022, the DC Health confirmed the first positive Orthopoxvirus case in a District resident who reportedly traveled to Europe shortly before.
Monkeypox symptoms which are similar to mild symptoms of smallpox are:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
In late June, DC opened 300 monkeypox vaccination appointments for eligible residents, which filled in less than half an hour after they became available on June 27.
DC Monkeypox Vaccination Appointments Scheduled Within Minutes