“Limited Monkeypox Vaccination Appointments Will Become Available to Eligible Residents Today at 1 PM”

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, Mayor Bowser and DC Health announced that beginning today at 1:00 p.m., a limited amount of monkeypox vaccination appointments will become available to eligible District residents at PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov. To be considered eligible for the monkeypox vaccination, persons must be a District resident, 18 years of age or older and:

Gay, bisexual, and other men 18 and older who have sex with men and have had multiple (more than one) sexual partners or any anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days; or
Transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men; or
Sex workers (of any sexual orientation/gender); or
Staff (of any sexual orientation/gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs)

Monkeypox vaccinations are free, based on availability, and will occur on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at 7530 Georgia Ave NW. A total of 300 appointments will be available today for Tuesday and Thursday. If the District receives additional doses of vaccine from the federal government, the vaccination appointment site will reopen on Wednesday for Sunday appointments.

Upon arrival for appointment, confirmation of appointment and proof of residency will be needed. Proof of residency may include an identification card with DC address, a utility bill or other mail with your name and a DC address, or a current DC lease or mortgage with your name on it.

Monkeypox is a rare, but potentially serious viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with bodily fluids or monkeypox lesions/rash. Monkeypox can spread during intimate contact between people, including respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact, during intimate physical contact like sex, kissing, or hugging, as well as touching fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox, such as bedding and towels.

The initial symptoms of monkeypox often include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash and lesions on the skin. Although the majority of cases do not require hospitalization, monkeypox is dangerous, highly contagious, and uncomfortable. While monkeypox can spread to anyone, the majority of current cases in the District are in men who have sex with men.

If you are displaying symptoms of monkeypox or would like to get tested for orthopoxvirus, the parent virus of monkeypox, please visit your healthcare provider or a local wellness clinic.

Residents are encouraged to follow DC Health social media channels for updates on monkeypox vaccine availability and visit PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov for the latest information on the virus.”