CDPHE to prioritize at-risk Coloradans for monkeypox vaccine
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says it is prioritizing people at high risk of contracting monkeypox. Department officials say the limited vaccine supply which they have will go to eligible people.
CDPHE defines eligibility by:
- Men aged 18 years and older who are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days. Anyone who believes they have been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox in the last 14 days is also eligible for the vaccine. Anyone can get monkeypox through close contact with someone who has the virus.
They expect more vaccines to come from the federal government later. Vaccination appointments are being planned for August, CDPHE said on July 21.
The vaccine, Jynneos, is administered in two doses with a recommended 28-day waiting period in between each dose. However, because of the short supply, those second doses might be longer than 28 days.
"If the vaccine is given four days after exposure to the monkeypox virus, it can help prevent people from getting sick; if given in the first two weeks after exposure, it could lessen the severity of the disease," CDPHE officials stated.
At present, more than 1,100 doses have been administered in Colorado.