Del. Expands Access to Monkeypox Vaccine

Delaware Public Health is expanding the availability of the Monkeypox Vaccine.

The vaccine has been available at public health clinics so far by appointment only. It will be made available to more categories of individuals this week:

• Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and have had multiple (more than one) or any anonymous sexual partners 
• Transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men 
• Sex workers (of any sexual orientation/gender) 
• Staff (of any sexual orientation/gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs)  

Last week, people living with HIV and those receiving HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis were eligible to receive the vaccine.

Beebe Healthcare has agreed to begin vaccinating people who meet eligibility criteria as of this Friday. Individuals can schedule an appointment at beebehealthcare.org/online-scheduling starting Monday, August 22nd. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

DPH and CAMP Rehoboth will host an event this week that is already booked.

Delaware Public Health operates a Monkeypox hotline: 866-408-1899.

DPH provided additional information about monkeypox:

Monkeypox vaccinations at DPH clinics will continue to prioritize individuals at highest risk after a DPH evaluation: persons known or presumed to be exposed to someone with MPX in the last 14 days, and certain individuals who have sex with men and who have had multiple sex partners within the past 14 days. As a result, appointments may need to be scheduled a few days out.

Individuals should be aware that the vaccine, a two-dose series given 28 days apart, is not considered effective until two weeks after the second dose. Particularly those at higher risk should continue to use preventive measures and reduce engaging in any high-risk behaviors until that time.

To learn more information about monkeypox, please visit de.gov/monkeypox. DPH began posting MPX case and vaccine data on the website this week. As of today, Delaware has 11 confirmed cases of MPX.

The DPH hotline is for individuals with questions or concerns about MPX. The DPH Hotline number is 866-408-1899 and is operational Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions may also be emailed to DPHCall@delaware.gov. Both the hotline number and email address share staff with the COVID-19 Call Center.