Public Health Expands Monkeypox Vaccination Eligibility; Launches West Hollywood Pop-Up Vaccination Location
With the arrival of additional JYNNEOS vaccination doses, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is expanding the criteria to include additional residents at high risk of exposure to monkeypox and launching a pop-up vaccination location in West Hollywood for those who have pre-registered, as described below, and booked an appointment at this location.
Monkeypox vaccine is now also available to gay or bisexual men and transgender persons 18 years of age and older who:
- Had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days including engaging in survival and/or transactional sex (e.g., sex in exchange for shelter, food and other goods and needs).
Residents who are immunocompromised, including those with advanced or uncontrolled HIV, may be at high risk for severe disease and will be prioritized for vaccination.
Residents who met the prior eligibility criteria are still eligible for vaccination (i.e., you are a gay or bisexual man or a transgender person and who were diagnosed with gonorrhea or early syphilis in the past 12 months, are on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), or had anonymous sex or sex with multiple partners within the past 21 days in a commercial sex venue or other venue).
Those who meet any of the criteria can pre-register now for vaccination. Vaccine invitations will be sent over the next few days to all eligible persons that pre-registered. When it is their turn, Public Health will send a text message with instructions for how to get the vaccine at a public monkeypox vaccination site. When you go to the monkeypox vaccine location, be ready to show the text message and your ID for verification.
Those without access to the internet or needing help with registration, can call 2-1-1 for assistance.
Additionally, starting on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, a West Hollywood location will be added as a public monkeypox vaccination site for those that pre-registered for vaccine. The pop-up location will be at West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard and will by appointment only from 9AM to 6PM. Residents who have not pre-registered and booked an appointment are not able to be vaccinated at this location.
Public Health is also working with other partners to secure additional pop-up vaccination locations.
Public Health is also directly communicating with the following groups to provide vaccination:
- People who have had high- or intermediate-risk contact with someone with monkeypox (as defined by CDC and confirmed by Public Health).
- People who attended an event or venue where there was high risk of exposure through skin-to-skin or sexual contact to individual(s) with monkeypox. (Public Health will work with event/venue organizers to identify persons who may have been present and at risk of exposure).
- Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) with high-risk behaviors.
- People in high-risk cohorts identified by clinical staff in the LA County Jail system.
For more information, please visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.
