Northwell Health will begin administering the monkeypox vaccine on Fire Island Thursday. Appointments via the Suffolk County website were all claimed on Monday.
The county received an initial allotment of 750 monkeypox vaccine doses after at least three cases of the rare viral infection were confirmed last week. Because of the current limited supply, only eligible individuals may receive the vaccine, and appointments are required. Suffolk officials say there will be more vaccines on the way.
“While Suffolk County has a handful of confirmed monkeypox cases, I want to reiterate that this is not cause for alarm or panic,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “This week, working with our partners at Northwell Health, we will begin to administer the vaccine to help reduce the chance and severity of infection in those who have been exposed, with the goal of containing the spread. As vaccine production ramps up, we will expand our operations to ensure that anyone who wants to get vaccinated is able to.”
New York State eligibility requirements for the monkeypox vaccine include individuals:
- With recent exposure to monkeypox within the past 14 days.
- At high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox, including members of the gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming community and other communities of men who have sex with men and who have engaged in intimate or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days in areas where monkeypox is spreading.
- Who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, including men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, mobile app, or social event, such as a bar or party.
There will be a total of six pop-up clinics at two locations beginning Thursday at Northwell Health Physician Partners at Cherry Grove, 153 Doctors Walk, Cherry Grove. The others will begin Friday at Fire Island Pines Community House/Whyte Hall, 577 Fire Island Blvd., Sayville.
For more information and to check for future appointment availability, visit SuffolkCountyNY.gov/monkeypox.
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