WASHINGTON — More than 5,000 D.C. residents who pre-registered for a monkeypox vaccine woke up to good news in their inbox Saturday morning -- they were getting their shot.
DC Health said appointments had been made available to 5,500 people on the waiting list. Prior to that announcement, DC Health said it had received 8,300 doses of the JYENNOS vaccine and administered approximately 2,600 doses.
"Individuals will have 48 hours to claim their appointment," DC Health tweeted at 10:14 a.m. Saturday. "Residents who did not receive an appointment invitation this week will stay in the system until an appointment becomes available."
According to CDC data last updated on July 22, there are 110 monkeypox cases in D.C., the highest number per capita compared to all states. D.C. makes up about 6% of the monkeypox cases across the United States, averaging about eight new cases per day. Maryland is reporting 71 cases and Virginia has 40.
Currently, the eligibility for the vaccination includes D.C. residents that are 18 years of age or older that fit one of the following descriptions:
- Gay, bisexual and other men 18 and older who have sex with men and have had multiple sexual partners or any anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days
- Transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men
- Sex workers
- Staff at establishments where sexual activity occurs including bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs
Residents who do not meet the current vaccine eligibility criteria are still encouraged to pre-register. If eligibility expands, people who have already registered will get notified about available appointments. Mayor Muriel Bowser has consistently said the more eligible people who pre-register for the vaccine, the stronger case D.C. can make for requesting more vaccine doses; she estimates the District needs 100,000 doses.
D.C. Health has opened up two vaccine sites for D.C. residents by appointment only to combat the increased numbers of monkeypox cases. The monkeypox vaccinations are free and based on availability; the past two openings filled within a matter of minutes. At the appointment, confirmation of an appointment and proof of residency will be required. Proof of residency can include an identification card with a DC address, a utility bill or other mail with your name and a DC address, or a current DC lease or mortgage with your name on it.
"While most cases are occurring in individuals identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, this is not a disease of that community alone," Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, the director of D.C. Health, said. "Anyone can contract it and we cannot create stigma. We encourage people to look out for symptoms."
The median age of cases in D.C. is 32 and the age range is 18-64, with a majority occurring in 30-34-year-old individuals; 63% of the cases have been among people who identify as white, 96% identify as male and 82% identify as gay. So far there have been no fatal cases.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Saturday that the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that qualifies as a global emergency. He issued the agency's highest level of alert despite not having expert consensus within the committee to "ensure the world takes the current outbreaks seriously."
“We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little,” Tedros said. “I know this has not been an easy or straightforward process and that there are divergent views among the members."