FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Smallpox/Monkey vaccine will be available for selected high-risk individuals next week at the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County, the health department said in a press release.
According to the statement, the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) is providing the JYNNEOS vaccine for smallpox/monkeypox by appointment only to people with certain risk factors.
To schedule an appointment, call 850-833-9246.
Starting August 24, the vaccine will be available at the health department on Wednesdays in Fort Walton Beach, 221 Hospital Drive NE, and on Thursdays in Crestview, 810 E. James Lee Blvd. The hours are from 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. The vaccine will be given in the Immunizations Office, DOH-Okaloosa said.
High-risk groups include:
- People who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox
- People who know one of their sexual partners in the past two weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox
- People who had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks in an area with known monkeypox
- Laboratory workers who perform diagnostic testing for monkeypox and members of designated health care worker response teams designated by appropriate public health authorities
DOH-Okaloosa warns that the availability of the vaccine is currently limited. If there are no appointments available, DOH-Okaloosa said people should check back often because it will offer new appointments as more vaccine becomes available.
The hepatitis A and meningococcal disease vaccine is also available at no cost to those at high risk and may be received during the same appointment, DOH-Okaloosa said.
According to DOH-Okaloosa, human-to-human transmission generally requires prolonged, face-to-face contact, direct contact with lesion materials, or indirect contact with lesion materials through contaminated items, such as contaminated clothing.
Up-to-date information on monkeypox is available at FloridaHealth.gov. Case data for monkeypox, as well as other reportable diseases, can be found on FLHealthCharts.gov.
