Starting Monday, 15 providers across the state will make monkeypox vaccines available to people who meet the qualification criteria.
The expanded provider network was announced Thursday as the number of monkeypox cases in Connecticut reached 28. Cases were reported in five counties, and all were male, with the majority between the ages of 20 and 49. of public health said.
Connecticut has received 1,778 doses of the monkeypox vaccine, with more expected.
Provider network health centers include Fair Haven Community Health Care in New Haven; Intercommunity Health Care in Hartford; Circle Care Center in Norwalk; Anchor Health Initiative in Hamden; Community Health and Wellness Center in Torrington; and the StayWell Health Center in Waterbury.
The community health center will also have the vaccine in six of its locations, and Planned Parenthood will make it available in three locations. A full list of health centers will be posted Monday on the Department of Health’s monkeypox web page.
The vaccine is available for people who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming and gender non-binary, or other men who have sex with men. Those seeking vaccination must be at least 18 years old and have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days. People who have had monkeypox likely have some protection against a second infection and are not currently eligible to be vaccinated, health officials said.
Monkeypox can be spread through prolonged close contact with an infected person. This may include contact with broken skin or bodily fluids, sharing clothing or other materials that have been used by an infected person, or inhaling respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.
Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, exhaustion, muscle and back pain, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that may look like pimples or blisters and appear on the face, hands, feet, chest, genitals or inside the mouth.
Those with monkeypox should self-isolate until the rash has completely resolved, the scabs have fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed, health officials said. Infected people should avoid close physical contact with others, wear a mask around others at home, and avoid sharing potentially contaminated items, such as linens, clothing, towels, and cooking utensils.
“We have seen over the past few weeks how this infection has expanded its reach and begun to affect the citizens of Connecticut,” said Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani. “Anyone who has skin-to-skin contact with someone who has had monkeypox could potentially contract monkeypox. It’s not primarily a respiratory disease. It’s one that with prolonged face-to-face contact with someone is possible, but it’s mostly transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.
“What we have seen so far is that there have been no deaths in the United States, no healthcare workers have contracted monkeypox from exposure to date” , said Juthani. “There was no one on a plane who was exposed to someone who had monkeypox, who got infected. These are promising signs, at least in terms of being able to track and identify cases. , and then to be able to take care of people appropriately.”
As awareness of monkeypox grows in Connecticut and elsewhere, LGBTQ+ advocates have said state leaders and others must also address any stigma associated with the disease.
“We all need to play a role in sharing information as widely as possible. And we all need to play a part in ending the ugliness of stigma, shame and insult that is already happening, especially so it doesn’t get worse,” said Linda Estabrook, executive director of the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective.
Connecticut residents who are concerned about a fever, swollen glands, or a new rash should contact their health care provider for an evaluation. Medical providers can request orthopoxvirus testing for patients at the state public health laboratory by calling 860-509-7994.