Monkeypox Vaccines Now Available

CFHC is now offering the JYNNEOS vaccine, the preferred vaccine to protect against monkeypox according to the CDC. This is a two-dose vaccine that takes 14 days after the second dose for its immune protection to reach its maximum.  Vaccines are being administered at our South Chicago and Chicago Lawn Sites and patients looking to get vaccinated must call our Infectious Disease team at 773-978-8375 where they will be screened for eligibility and if eligible will be scheduled with a provider. Pullman, Roseland, East Side, and CVCA patients requesting a vaccine will be scheduled at South Chicago if they meet the criteria.

Click here for CFHC clinic locations and addresses.

About Monkeypox: According the CDC

How Monkeypox Spreads:
Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact, including:

• Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox.
• Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
• Contact with respiratory secretions.

This direct contact can happen during intimate contact, including:

• Oral, anal, and vaginal sex or touching the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butthole) of a person with monkeypox.
• Hugging, massage, and kissing.
• Prolonged face-to-face contact.
• Touching fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox and that have not been disinfected, such as bedding, towels, fetish gear, and sex toys.

Symptoms:
Monkeypox symptoms can last 2-4 weeks. People with monkeypox get a rash that may be located on or near the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butthole) and could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth. The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.

Other symptoms of monkeypox can include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Exhaustion
• Muscle aches and backache
• Headache
• Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)

You may experience all or only a few symptoms. Sometimes, people have flu-like symptoms before the rash. Some people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms while others only experience a rash.

Treatment for Monkeypox According to the CDC:

Monkeypox and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, which means that antiviral drugs and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox may be used to prevent and treat monkeypox virus infections.

Antivirals, such as tecovirimat (TPOXX), may be recommended for people who are more likely to get severely ill, like patients with weakened immune systems. CFHC will refer you to where you can receive the appropriate antivirals if needed.

Most people with monkeypox recover fully within 2 to 4 weeks without the need for medical treatment.