MILWAUKEE — Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s recommendations, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has expanded monkeypox vaccine eligibility to more people who may be at a higher risk for monkeypox exposure.
In a news release on Wednesday, DHS encouraged all eligible Wisconsinites to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Currently, people can be vaccinated after a known or presumed exposure to someone with monkeypox, ideally within four days. This method of vaccine roll-out is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
An additional group of people eligible for the monkeypox vaccine includes people with certain risk factors and recent experiences that may make them more likely to have been recently exposed to monkeypox. This is called expanded post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP++).
According to the CDC, PEP++ currently includes people who have known contact with someone with monkeypox, people who are aware that a recent sexual partner was diagnosed with monkeypox within the past 14 days, and people that have had any of the following within the past 14 days: sex with multiple partners (or group sex); sex at a commercial sex venue; or sex in association with an event, venue, or defined geographic area where monkeypox transmission is occurring.
Those with the highest potential for monkeypox exposure include: men who have sex with men, transgender, or nonbinary people who in the past six months have had a new diagnosis of at least one nationally reportable sexually transmitted disease (i.e., acute HIV, chlamydia, chancroid, gonorrhea, or syphilis), people who have had sex at a commercial sex venue within the past six months, people who have had sex in association with a large public event where monkeypox transmission is occurring, sexual partners of people with the risks listed above, and people who anticipate experiencing the above risks.
Though a majority of cases in the current monkeypox outbreak are occurring with gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, anyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk for contracting it.
Currently, CDC is not recommending routine immunization (or pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP) against monkeypox for the general public. PrEP has been made available to those with the highest potential for exposure to monkeypox.
As of Wednesday, 81 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Wisconsin.
To find a vaccine location near you, visit the Wisconsin DHS website.
If you would like to learn more about monkeypox prevention you can visit the CDC Monkeypox Prevention website.
Vaccine rollouts are remaining focused as current data indicates specific populations experiencing the most impact. For more information about who is being impacted, please visit the CDC website.
