COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus Public Health has a small number of monkeypox vaccines and will be holding clinics later this week.
Vaccine appointments will be hosted on Aug. 17 and 18 at 240 Parsons Ave. and are available for high-risk individuals. To receive a vaccine, individuals must be a Franklin County resident 18 or older and meet one of the following criteria:
- Men who have sex with men, transgender or gender non-conforming people who:
- Are HIV positive or have been diagnosed with an STI in the past 12 months
- Have had multiple anonymous sex partners in the past two weeks
- Have attended a sex party or bathhouse in the past two weeks
- Anyone who exchanges sex for money, goods or services
Eligible people can register here or call 614-645-1519. To receive a vaccine, you must have an appointment. Walk-ins will not be accepted.
All appointments are for the first dose of the JYNNEOS vaccine, a two-dose series given 28 days apart. Second dose appointments will be scheduled at your first appointment.
Monkeypox is caused by a virus that spreads through close, skin-to-skin intimate contact or during sex, said Columbus Public Health. It can also spread through kissing and contact with sheets, towels and other objects. While most cases have occurred through sexual activity, monkeypox is not an STI.