Monday DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and DC Health announced a limited rollout of Monkeypox vaccinations for District residents.
Vaccine appointments are free and will be available on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. at 7530 Georgia Ave NW. A total of 300 appointments will be available each day. If the District receives additional doses of the vaccine from the federal government, the vaccination appointment site will reopen with additional appointment times.
According to DC Health, Monkeypox is highly contagious and is known to be spread during intimate contact between people, including respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact, during intimate physical contact and contact with fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox.
On June 4, 2022, the DC Public Health Lab confirmed the first positive Orthopoxvirus case in a District resident who reported recent travel to Europe.
Those eligible to receive the vaccine include:
- Men 18 and older who have sex with men and have had multiple sexual partners or any anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days
- Transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men
- Sex workers of any sexual orientation or gender
- Staff of any sexual orientation/gender at establishments where sexual activity occurs such as bathhouses, saunas and sex clubs
In order to receive the vaccine individuals will also need to show proof of DC residency.
You can learn more about Monkeypox, its signs and symptoms and schedule a vaccine appointment here.
Sarah Payne is a general assignment reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com.
