VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Health officials in Virginia Beach are working fast to slow the spread of Monkeypox.
“We’ve been doing vaccination clinics at the health department for Monkeypox for the past three weeks,” said Bob Engle, the emergency coordinator for Virginia Beach Department of Public Health.
Wednesday morning’s clinic at the health department building marked week four of Monkeypox vaccination efforts in Hampton Roads.
He said about 100 people received a shot. Now, department leaders are working to administer second doses along with the first dose.
He said that so far, over a thousand doses have gone into arms.
“We’re going to continue to provide 300 to 400 doses each week,” he said.
Engle said it's possible the department's quick response is helping to slow the spread of the Monkeypox virus in the area.
“We actually think it’s plateauing,” he said.
“Maybe hopefully in the next couple of weeks, we’ll start to see it turn down.”
Efforts to get people a vaccine have stretched beyond the health department building. This past weekend, health leaders worked with The Wave Club in Norfolk to get people vaccinated.
At that clinic, they administered over 200 doses. Now, they’re working to collaborate with other businesses to start clinics in the coming weeks.
“I’ve recently made contact with MJ's Tavern restaurant in Norfolk and we’ll be having a clinic there on September 15th," he said.
Although Monkeypox cases are waning, health leaders plan to keep clinics going through the fall as long as the demand is still there.
“It might slow down, it might go down to one clinic a week, but we will continue to provide the clinics similar to what we’re doing with COVID,” Engle said.
The health department is holding another clinic Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at New Light Full Gospel Baptist Church.
There's another one at the health department building Thursday, September 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted.
A two-dose series of a Monkeypox vaccine (JYNNEOS) is recommended in Virginia for individuals who identify with any of the following groups:
- All people, of any sexual orientation or gender, who have had anonymous or multiple (more than 1) sexual partners in the last 2 weeks; or
- Sex workers (of any sexual orientation or gender); or
- Staff (of any sexual orientation or gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (such as bathhouses, sex clubs.)