Only certain people are eligible.
); worldwide, there have been at least 5,115 confirmed cases in at least 51 countries at the time of publication.vaccine designed to protect against monkeypox
, in addition to smallpox, specifically—56,000 of which will be made available immediately, per the statement. More than 9,000 have already been dispensed, and 32 jurisdictions have requested vaccines. The remaining 240,000 doses will be available in the coming weeks, and HHS expects more than 1 million additional doses to be made available during the course of summer and fall 2022, per the statement.
The statement says a number of factors will determine how many vaccines a given jurisdiction is given, including reported monkeypox cases in the region as well as the number of high-risk individuals in the region. Right now only certain individuals are eligible for the monkeypox vaccine in the U.S.
In addition to those who have been exposed to the virus, certain individuals can get the vaccine as a precaution. This group includes men who have sex with men who have “recently had multiple sex partners in a venue where there was known to be monkeypox” or “in an area where monkeypox is spreading,” per the HHS. The current outbreak has largely affected this specific community, per the, but anyone can get monkeypox, regardless of sexual orientation.
A health care professional can also help you with next steps if you suspect you’ve been exposed to monkeypox or potentially have