Chicago expected to receive influx of monkeypox vaccine
CHICAGO (CBS) – Chicago has experienced an increase in demand for monkeypox vaccine, but there isn't enough supply.
But as CBS 2's Sabrina Franza found out that's about the change.
Chicago is expected to receive an influx of the monkeypox vaccine starting Saturday, about 15,000 new doses. But with such a limited supply, not everyone who wants the shot is eligible.
"Monkeypox is not COVID," said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
That means doctors are not recommending that everyone get the monkeypox, also known as MPV, vaccine preemptively.
Arwady said on Friday that only people who meet certain criteria can get the vaccine for now.
"MPV vaccine is now recommended for the general public and at this time that includes not being recommended for same gender loving men who do not have those other risk factors," Arwady said.
Because of community spread, same gender loving men have been testing positive for monkeypox at higher rates.
"It's spread through close, often intimate contact especially when people develop sores," Arwady said.
Someone is only eligible for the two-dose vaccine if they have had close physical and possibly intimate contact with someone that has MPV, or a man who is gay, bisexual, or transgender and was intimate with another man that they may not know.
"Any provider would be able to send a test for this virus," Arwady said.
If you're ineligible and feel sick, testing is key.
As of Friday, 202 people in Chicago have tested positive for monkeypox since the first case was detected in June.
Hospitalization is rare, only about 5% of the time. No one has died.
"This is definitely an undercount," Arwady added, "and this is part of why we want to encourage people to get tested."
Rollout for the vaccine will include contact tracing to vaccinate those close to someone with a positive test.
The city also plans to incorporate businesses into their vaccination strategy to distribute doses near locations that expect to see some sort of community spread.