DC Health Monkeypox Clinics to Begin Offering Walk-up Only Vaccination Services on September 23
Today, Mayor Bowser and DC Health announced that the District’s three monkeypox clinics will move to walk-up only services beginning September 23. Eligible individuals will no longer need to pre-register for monkeypox vaccinations and will be able to visit any of the three DC Health monkeypox clinics for their first or second dose.
Those who received their first dose through a pre-registered appointment will receive guidance via email on obtaining their second vaccination dose. Beginning September 23, those receiving their first dose of the monkeypox vaccine will receive a written reminder on when to return for their second dose. According to the CDC, the second dose of the monkeypox vaccine should be administered between 24 and 32 days after the initial dose, however, it can also be effective if administered more than 32 days after the initial dose.
Vaccination doses will be subject to availability at each of the three clinics. Residents are encouraged to follow DC Health’s social media channels for updates on availability at each site.
DC Health Monkeypox Clinic Locations:
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Ward
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Location
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Hours
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Ward 2
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1900 I St NW
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Noon - 8:00pm Sunday – Friday
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Ward 4
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7530 Georgia Ave NW
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Noon - 8:00pm Sunday – Friday
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Ward 8
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3640 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
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Noon - 8:00pm Monday – Saturday
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Those eligible for the monkeypox vaccine include individuals who meet one of the following criteria:
- All people, of any sexual orientation or gender, who have had multiple sexual partners in the past 2 weeks, including those currently considered highest risk: gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, transgender men, and transgender women; or
- Men who have sex with men who are non-monogamous (pre-exposure prophylaxis); or
- Sex workers (of any sexual orientation or gender); or
- Staff (of any sexual orientation or gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs).
- People of any sexual orientation or gender who:
- Are living with HIV/AIDS or have been diagnosed with any sexually transmitted infection in the past three months.
Monkeypox is a potentially serious viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. It can spread during intimate physical contact between people, including sex, kissing, and hugging. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact or when a person touches fabrics, such as bedding and towels, used by a person with monkeypox.
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 can be dangerous, contagious, and uncomfortable. Anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider about whether they need to get tested, even if they don't think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox.
PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov.
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