UK HealthCare offering free mpox vaccine event
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 12, 2024) — In the wake of a recently declared global health emergency, UK HealthCare providers will soon be offering a free mpox vaccine event at Lexington’s Woodland Park this Saturday.
Mpox, formerly monkeypox, is an infectious, viral disease that can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. The disease has been making headlines lately.
This year, an outbreak of a particularly deadly strain of mpox — called clade Ib — has infected thousands across multiple Sub-Saharan African countries.
In August, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern and warned the virus could spread to other continents. A handful of cases have since been identified among travelers in Europe and Asia.
However, the risk to the United States is currently low and the best protection against the virus — a trusted and effective vaccine — is available.
Where and when is the event?
UK’s Bluegrass Care Clinic, in collaboration with the Kentucky Income Reinvestment Program, will offer free mpox vaccinations at the Kentucky Black Pride Festival in Woodland Park noon-6 p.m. Sept. 14.
Along with the vaccines, HIV testing, referrals for HIV PrEP and other sexual wellness services will be offered.
Nicholas Van Sickels, M.D., one of the medical directors of infection prevention and control at UK HealthCare, encouraged the public to take advantage of this upcoming free vaccine event.
“While the risk to the U.S. is currently low, I remain very concerned,” Van Sickels said. “Spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and documented cases in Europe and Asia is worrisome. Getting the highly effective mpox vaccine is the best way potentially at-risk Kentuckians can prepare for the clade I mpox strain. We’re proud to offer the vaccine for free at this important community event.”
Who should get the vaccine?
The global health emergency isn’t the only reason to consider getting the vaccine. A different strain of mpox, called clade II, has been circulating in the U.S. since 2022. An increase in clade II mpox cases in Kentucky was observed as recently as this past spring.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people get the vaccine if they suspect they’ve had exposure to someone with mpox or are a gay, bisexual or other man who has sex with men or are a transgender, nonbinary or gender-diverse person who in the past six months has had a new diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease or have had sex with more than one partner or at a commercial sex venue. More information can be found on the CDC website.
Mpox is spread through direct contact with lesions or skin of an infected person. The virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or mucosal surfaces like those found in the mouth or genital areas. The virus can also spread through contact with contaminated materials like clothing or bedding.
The virus can spread to other household members and sexual partners. People with multiple sexual partners are at higher risk.
It’s imperative that those receiving the vaccine get both doses. The vaccine is proven to be most effective — close to 90% protection — two weeks after receiving the second dose. The second dose can be given four weeks after receiving the first dose.
Those looking for their second dose after the vaccine event can check a recently updated online mpox vaccine locator courtesy of the CDC. The JYNNEOS mpox vaccine is covered under Medicare and Medicaid and is expected to be covered by private insurance soon. UK Retail Pharmacies are working to secure vaccines for the public — updates to come at a later date.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.