3 monkeypox vaccine events to be held in New Orleans, Baton Rouge this week – NOLA.com

Three monkeypox vaccine events will be held in New Orleans and Baton Rouge this week, health officials said Tuesday.

Monkeypox has been identified in several individuals so far in the New Orleans area, and Louisiana officials said there are likely more undiagnosed cases.

The virus isspreading mostly through close, intimate contact, and many reported caseshave been diagnosed in men who have sex with men,according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are not enough shots to currently meet the demand in Louisiana, and the events this week will be offering a limited number of vaccines on a first-come basis to eligible people, according Mindy Faciane, spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health.

Several clinics around the state are also offering vaccines to eligible people by appointment only. Here's the full list.

Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.: The Phoenix Bar, a 24-hour gay bar in the Marigny, is hosting a shot-for-shot event in partnership with the health department.

The business says 300 vaccines will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis to people who meet the eligibility criteria.

HIV testing, COVID vaccines and PrEP counseling also will be available at the event, Phoenix says.

After receiving a monkeypox shot, the customer will get a free shot of alcohol, Phoenix says. The bar also plans to offer free bottled water, snacks, music and drink specials. Read more about the event.

Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.: The Page, a gay bar at the edge of the French Quarter, is hosting a free vaccine event on Thursday to people to meet the eligibility requirements. Health officials didn't immediately know how many shots would be available.

The bar is 542 North Rampart Street.

Thursday from 4-7 p.m.: Out of the Box LGBTQ Center is hosting a free vaccine event for eligible people on Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear how many vaccines would be available.

The center is at 9148 Scotland Avenue. Read more.

Here are the eligibility criteria for the vaccine, as outlined by the Louisiana Health Department.

U.S. officials on Thursday declared a public health emergency over the outbreak, which has infected more than 6,600 Americans.

Monkeypox has been detected in Louisiana.

Monkeypox is a potentially serious virus that typically causes flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash with bumps that are initially filled with fluid before scabbing over, according to the Louisiana Health Department. Most infections last two to four weeks.

Here's what the state Health Department says you need to know about monkeypox.

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Sometimes people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms; others only experience a rash. Some people infected in the U.S. have experienced only isolated rashes in the genital region or other body parts.

Monkeypox spreads in different ways, officials said. The virus is most often spread through direct contact with a rash or sores of someone who has the virus.

People stand in long lines to receive the monkeypox vaccine at San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco, on July 12, 2022.

It can also spread through contact with clothing, bedding and other items used by a person with monkeypox, or from respiratory droplets that can be passed through prolonged face-to-face contact, including kissing, cuddling or sex.

People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.

According to the CDC, early data suggest that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases. However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.

Take basic steps to prevent the spread of monkeypox. Anyone with exposure or infection concerns should refrain from intimate or close personal contact and seek medical attention. If you do not have a health care provider, visit a parish health unit near you. Laboratory testing for monkeypox is now widely available, officials said.

Treatments and vaccinations are available for monkeypox, but physicians say bureaucratic red tape is hindering their ability to respond to and contain the outbreak.

The monkeypox treatment, TPOXX, is available only to patients and doctors under a special CDC status, because it is usually used to treat smallpox, not monkeypox.

The expanded access status requires physicians to go through more than 100 pages of paperwork each time they prescribe it. Between the forms and administrative requirements, a patient visit to initiate this medication can take one to three hours.

As a result, many people who need the drug are not receiving the necessary treatment, and the bureaucratic hurdles are hitting uninsured and minority communities particularly hard, said Mary Foote, the medical director for emergency preparedness and response in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos is one of two vaccines that may be given in the U.S. to prevent monkeypox. The government has many more doses of the other vaccine, an older smallpox vaccine called ACAM2000 that is considered to have a greater risk of side effects and is not recommended for people who have HIV. So its the Jynneos vaccine that officials have been using as a primary weapon against the outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for people who have already been exposed to the virus and their presumed contacts. That includes men who have recently had sex with men at parties or in other gatherings in cities where monkeypox cases have been identified.

The CDC estimates that about 1.5 million American men are eligible for the vaccine based on their HIV status and other risk factors.

The Associated Press and CQ-Roll Call via the Tribune Content Agency contributed to this story.

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3 monkeypox vaccine events to be held in New Orleans, Baton Rouge this week - NOLA.com