Suffolk County launching monkeypox vaccine clinics next week on Fire Island
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. -- Starting Monday, appointments to get the monkeypox vaccine on Fire Island will open online.
Friday, the Fire Island Ferry shuttled people to fun in the sun and Suffolk County officials want to keep it that way. They've launched the campaign in an effort to prevent an outbreak, CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported.
"I think that's great. I mean, getting ahead of it and making sure that the people in the Grove and the Pines are safe. I think that should be a priority," said Ali Mitchell, a summer resident of Fire Island.
Cherry Grove and the Pines are popular gay destinations on Fire Island. That's why, starting next week, 750 doses of the monkeypox vaccine will be distributed there.
"For whatever reason, the data show now that the gay and bisexual men are most impacted right now by monkeypox and that's why we need to work together to target our outreach," said David Kilmnick of the LGBT Network.
The New York State Health Department says monkeypox is a rare, viral infection that usually does not cause serious illness. The latest numbers show 153 confirmed cases in New York, with 141 in New York City and three in Suffolk.
County officials said people should be educated, not alarmed.
"This is a disease that's primarily spread by close, intimate, skin to skin contact. That's very important," said Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott.
Starting Monday, in order to stop the spread of monkeypox, anyone who is considered high rise, who was exposed to monkeypox in the last 14 days, can sign up for a vaccine appointment on Suffolk County's website.
Northwell Health will distribute the shots at pop-up clinics Thursday in Cherry Grove and Friday in the Pines.
"Luckily we now have the vaccine to help reduce the chance and severity of infection," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.
Bellone hopes to get additional doses of the vaccine in the next two weeks to distribute across the mainland.
The Suffolk County Health Commissioner said the three men with confirmed monkeypox cases are currently in isolation.