The Monkeypox vaccine is starting to roll out at pop-up clinics like Columbus Public Health and appointments are filling up fast as doses become available.
The monkeypox vaccine clinic filled up within two hours of its announcement last week. Health officials say 450 vaccines were available. They're targeted to high-risk groups, including men having sex with men who are HIV positive or have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.
“Can it be increased, sure," said Densil Porteous, director of Stonewall Columbus, a LGBTQ+ community organization. "Hopefully we’ll see more vaccination coming from the federal government into the community.”
Porteous says they're working with public health and Equitas Health to share timely information and to ensure vaccines are equitably distributed.
“As we have found and seen there have been a number of pop-up clinics that have occurred pretty quickly and rapidly in locations once vaccines have come into the area,” Porteous said.
Columbus Public Health will continue to host clinics as vaccines become available. It had 400 vaccines available at a clinic last week.
Porteous reminds folks that anyone can contract the virus and to practice similar COVID-19 precautions.
"Monkeypox is not regulated to one individual community," he said. "This is something that all communities across our local region should be aware of and paying attention to."
