IL officials have administered more than 2,000 monkeypox vaccines. Who’s eligible?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 230 monkeypox cases in Illinois as of Thursday.
Only California and New York have higher reported case counts, at 356 and 830, respectively.
Federal officials have allocated 4,895 doses of the vaccine to Illinois health authorities, state Department of Public Health spokesperson Michael Claffey said in an email to the News-Democrat.
Some of those doses have been sent to the Chicago Department of Public Health, as 85% of the state’s monkeypox cases are in that area, Claffey continued.
At least 2,280 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine have been administered and entered into the state’s vaccine database, according to IDPH.
St. Clair County has received 100 doses of the vaccine as of Thursday, Claffey said.
According to a June 30 IDPH statement, the vaccine will be available in counties that have recorded at least one monkeypox case. The St. Clair County Health Department announced July 14 it had identified the area’s first probable monkeypox case.
As of Friday afternoon, county health department officials said they had not received CDC confirmation of the area’s probable case. No additional cases have been identified at this time.
The case was likely related to domestic travel, the statement said, and the person who was infected had minimal contact with the public. Officials said they notified any potential close contacts and the case was isolated.
Who’s eligible for the vaccine locally?
According to the St. Clair County Health Department, someone who suspects they have monkeypox should see their health care provider after contacting the agency in advance to let them know why they wish to be seen.
St. Clair County Health Department Executive Director Myla Blandford said in an email to the News-Democrat the department is in the process of distributing vaccines to providers in the area who serve populations the IDPH has identified as high-risk.
Close contacts to the county’s probable case have been provided with the vaccine, Blandford said.
Health officials recommend vaccination to anyone who has been exposed to monkeypox.
Blandford said current IDPH guidelines to local authorities say people with the following characteristics are eligible for the vaccine, due to increased potential for exposure:
- Men who have had sex with men in a social or sexual venue in the last 14 days
- Men who have had two or more casual male sexual partners in the last 14 days, or men whose partners have had two or more casual sexual partners in the same time period
- Men who have given or received money or other goods/services in exchange for sex with other men in the last 14 days
While men who have sex with men in the above contexts have been disproportionately affected by monkeypox, people of any sexual orientation can contract and spread monkeypox, the CDC says.
“Currently, vaccine supplies for MPV are very limited; not everyone needs to be vaccinated for MPV. The health department will provide vaccine for those individuals identified as close contacts through contact tracing,” Blandford said.
Any remaining vaccines available will be targeted to clinics that serve individuals with the risk factors identified by IDPH, Blandford continued.
IDPH also designates the vaccine for people at an occupational risk of exposure, including laboratory workers, selected clinicians and response team members.
The JYNNEOS vaccine is administered in a two-dose series, Blandford said, so St. Clair County’s 100 doses are enough to vaccinate 50 people.
“As the vaccine is depleted, the Health Department will request additional doses. There is no guarantee that St. Clair County will receive additional vaccine at this time,” Blandford said.
Someone who has contracted monkeypox would not need to receive the vaccine, Blandford added.
Symptoms of monkeypox may include rash, fever, headache, muscle and back aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
People who have a rash and think they may have been exposed to monkeypox should see their health provider and discuss the possibility of testing and vaccination, Claffey said.
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 3:55 PM.
