What you should know about the D.C. Monkeypox outbreak, including how to get vaccinated
122 Monkeypox cases in the District*
*Per today’s DC Health press conference. DC has the highest per capita Monkeypox rates in the nation.
STAY UPDATED BY VISITING THE CDC MONKEYPOX TRACKER HERE.
What are the symptoms?
Image courtesy of the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a concentrated effort to eliminate smallpox. Since then, monkeypox has been reported in people in several other central and western African countries.
Monkeypox cases in people have occurred outside of Africa linked to international travel or imported animals, including cases in the US.
Symptoms
In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox can be similar to but milder than the symptoms of smallpox.
Symptoms can begin with:
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches
Backache
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
Exhaustion
Within 1-3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. The rash can progress from being flat and red, to being a bump, to being fluid-filled, to being pus-filled, and then to being a scab.
Symptoms usually appear between 7-14 days after exposure but can range between 5-21 days. The illness typically lasts between 2-4 weeks.
READ this TWITTER THREAD FROM A DC RESIDENT WHO HAS/HAD MONKEYPOX (heads up: It’s graphic)
Transmission
Monkeypox virus can spread when a person comes into contact with the virus from an infected animal, infected person, or materials contaminated with the virus. Monkeypox virus may spread from animals to people through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, by handling wild game, or through the use of products made from infected animals. The virus may also spread through direct contact with body fluids or sores on an infected person or with materials that have touched body fluids or sores, such as clothing or linens.
Monkeypox spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact. Monkeypox can spread during intimate contact between people, including during sex, as well as activities like kissing, cuddling, or touching parts of the body with monkeypox sores.
LEARN MORE FROM DC HEALTH
LEARN MORE FROM THE CDC
Who can get a Monkeypox vaccine?
“Anyone may pre-register for a vaccine, however, you may not receive an appointment unless you meet the above criteria. The criteria for being vaccinated may be updated in the future.
Pre-registration does not guarantee an invitation to book an appointment. Invitations may be sent out based on an equity model and not based on the date of registration. Once you have been selected for an appointment, you will receive an email with additional information to claim your appointment. Please monitor your email closely as you will have a limited time period to claim your invitation to register.”
Pre-register for the MonkeyPox Vaccine here!
Sidenote: At the time of this post’s publishing, The Advoc8te was aware that DC’s Monkeypox vaccination sites were only located west of the river. I sincerely hope that an east of the river option will be available soon and intake is done privately and respectfully.