With monkeypox, or MPV, being declared a public health emergency by both the state of Illinois and the federal government, questions have arisen about who exactly is eligible to receive vaccinations against the illness.
According to the latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 6,600 cases of MPV have been diagnosed across the United States this year.
With limitations on the availability of vaccine doses to combat the virus, the city of Chicago has established criteria for those who will be eligible to receive those shots in coming days and weeks.
You Are Eligible to Receive the Vaccine If:
If you have had close physical contact with someone or an intimate partner who has been diagnosed with MPV.
You Could Also be Eligible to Receive the Vaccine If:
If you are a gay, bisexual, cis or trans man who has had sex with men, AND who meets at least one of these criteria:
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-Has had intimate or sexual contact with other men in a social or sexual venue.
-Has given or received money or other goods and services in exchange for sex.
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-Has intimate or sexual contact with multiple or anonymous partners.
More Recommendations on the Vaccine:
At this time, getting the vaccine is NOT recommended for the general public at this time.
According to the latest updates from the city of Chicago, tens of thousands of doses have been delivered to the city, including approximately 13,000 doses that were delivered on Wednesday.
Distribution of those doses is currently underway, and another 20,000 doses are expected to be delivered in the next four-to-six weeks.
What Lies Ahead:
After the federal government declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more antiviral treatments and vaccine doses could soon be on the way.
According to Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, millions more doses have been ordered by the federal government, but production and delivery of those doses could take several months.
In the meantime, testing capacity is widely available, so anyone who has been exposed to, or is showing symptoms of, the virus is encouraged to get tested.
