Monkeypox vaccination efforts ramping up in New York City and beyond
NEW YORK - Efforts to distribute the monkeypox vaccine are ramping up across New York as the viral outbreak continues to spread.
Thousands of new appointments opened up Friday in the city and were quickly filled.
Friday at 6 p.m., 9,200 appointments opened up, and within seven minutes, they were all gone.
"Within minutes! I mean, I think they should have enough supply," Chelsea resident Ben Williams said.
This week, the city received over 14,000 doses from the federal government. The health department says Friday's rollout was smooth, but there are still a number of people who disagree, saying they've been unsuccessful securing an appointment.
As CBS2's Alecia Reid reports, at 6 p.m., the website was a bit slow to load, there were no available clinics nearby and before making a decision, all appointments were gone.
"I've been trying to make an appointment since last week, and the website kept crashing. Then they said it opened up at 6 o'clock, and there are appointments available but they weren't here," Chelsea resident Chester Rhodes said.
With 461 monkeypox cases in the city, 30 percent of the nationwide total, New York City is now the epicenter, according to the health department.
"That's scary. That's very scary. We need more vaccines, quickly," Williams said.
There was a bit of good news late Friday. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced more than 32,000 additional doses are heading our way next week.
"I guess the rush right now, it's really confusing trying to get one, so I'll hold out. I wanna get it, but I'll wait," Rhodes said.
In a statement, health officials said in part:
"Vaccine supply continues to be extremely limited, and we are working to get vaccine to New Yorkers as soon as possible. In addition to the appointments that went online today, we will continue to receive appointments for people referred by community partner organizations serving highest-risk patients. We will advise New Yorkers when more appointments can be made."
With the current vaccine shortage, health officials say some individuals may not get their second does within the 28-day period, but that shouldn't affect their immune response once it's administered.
To receive notifications about monkeypox appointments, text MONKEYPOX to 692692 or MONKEYPOXESP for alerts in Spanish.
To improve access, the Health Department is opening up three mass vaccination sites this weekend, along with an additional clinic on Staten Island.
Watch Christina Fan's report
On Long Island, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone boarded the Sayville Ferry Friday to show a pop-up clinic in Cherry Grove. Similar clinics will also be opening on the mainland.
"With appointments filling up in just an hour's time, that made it clear that our residents wanted to get vaccinated to protect themselves and to protect their community," Bellone said.
In a place famous for fun in the sun, there's a cloud of yet another health concern. The ferry to Fire Island was filled with some eager to hit the clinic before the beaches.
Julian Dorcelien called getting the vaccine his civic duty.
"Everyone is concerned, as they should be, and it's not just amongst the gay community, it's amongst everyone because everyone can get it," he said.
Gary Sacks was also eager to get his vaccine.
"It's a concern. We just lived through COVID, and at least there is a vaccine, so this is an amazing thing," he said.
Suffolk County, working with Northwell, had 750 vaccine appointments in Cherry Grove and the Pines booked up instantly.
"Some of us remember the AIDS crisis. Some people took it serious, some people didn't. I'm happy the community is taking it serious," Dorcelien said.
Mainland pop-up vaccine pods begin next week in Hampton Bays and Westfield Mall.
HOW TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
- suffolkcountyny.gov/monkeypox
- Northwell Health's Monkeypox Vaccine Scheduling Portal
- Call Northwell Health at 516-486-6862 or email covidvaccine@numc.edu. NUMC is using the same email address they used for COVID-19 vaccine appointments for monkeypox vaccine appointments.
- Stony Brook Medicine monkeypox vaccine first-dose PODs
Experts encourage those at high risk -- gay men with multiple sex partners or a known exposure -- to be alert for the painful, rash-like illness.
"Malaise, pains, joint pain and then typically develop a rash," said Dr. Annabella Salvador, with Northwell Health. "Things to look out for is always fever, rash, you should be concerned ... These lesions can be definitely very painful, especially if they're in the genital area or in the mouth, and that's what you need to treat supportively."
Monkeypox is rarely fatal, but the goal is to contain it.
"Our goal here is to contain the spread and make sure that this is not something that goes further," Bellone said.
Just emerging from one pandemic, Fire Island visitors eager to stamp out another health threat were disappointed the vaccine is so scarce.
EJ Beverly got shut out.
"It's a slow response, and not just like the slow response of COVID. HIV/AIDS in the '80s, you would've thought that the governments would have learned a lot more. I mean, there's been improvement, but there's still a long way to go," he said. "Better to be proactive than waiting for exposure and then get it. We take our responsibility seriously."
"People concerned that they weren't able to get an appointment. We need more vaccine," said Henry Robin, with the Fire Island Pines Property Owners' Association.
Watch Carolyn Gusoff's report
"I think similarly to the way people felt about the COVID vaccine, we have the ability to stop this sooner than it would naturally," said Cherry Grove Property Owners' Association President Tim Arnold.
But there is a sense of optimism that New York will secure more doses. For now, Suffolk has to reserve more than 1,200 of its allotment for the second dose given in four weeks. Full immunity doesn't take effect until two weeks after the second dose.
Westchester County is also opening up a monkeypox clinic, appointment only, beginning Monday. Officials say the 12 cases there are no cause for alarm, but residents should be aware of symptoms.
"In monkeypox, there is no way to test unless you have the rash and a cotton swab is run across and sent to a molecular lab," said Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer says Westchester is receiving a second shipment of 520 doses of monkeypox vaccine. They will be available at the county health clinic on Court Street in White Plains by appointment on Monday from noon to 3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Wednesday.
The CDC says as of Thursday, there are 1,470 cases in the United States. The U.S. Health Department says it placed an order Friday for another 2.5 million doses of the monkeypox vaccine.