Risk to the general public low
The Health Department of Northwest Michigan (HDNW) now has a limited supply of the monkeypox virus (MPV) vaccines. Appointments for vaccinations are available for those eligible beginning Monday, Aug. 22.
“While our district has not had any confirmed cases of MPV, having the vaccine allows us to be proactive in our ability to protect residents who may be at risk,” said HDNW Interim Health Officer Dan Thorell. “However, at this time supplies are limited, so we’re only vaccinating people who meet specific eligibility requirements.”
Eligibility
The current supply of the MPV vaccine is limited. While MPV can affect anyone, vaccination is limited to those who are at risk for MPV infection. Contact your local health department if you have recently been exposed to MPV or are at high risk for exposure. More information on who is at risk can be found here.
Transmission of MPV
MPV is a viral illness. It primarily spreads through close or intimate contact with those who are infected through contact with rashes, scabs, bodily fluids, or extended face-to-face contact.
Symptoms of MPV
MPV infection typically begins with flu-like symptoms that progresses into rashes on the face and/or body. Additional symptoms include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Back and muscle aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Feeling tired
- Sore throat, cough, and/or nasal congestion
- Rashes that look like pimples or blisters can appear on the face, in the mouth, hands, feet, chest, and/or genitals
For more information on the eligibility requirements of the MPV vaccine, please visit https://www.nwhealth.org/monkeypox.html.
If you may be eligible and you would like to schedule an MPV vaccine, please call 800-432-4121.
For more information on MPV, visit https://link.zixcentral.com/u/fc54277e/2MFKihkf7RGgjWEWXNGfSw?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.michigan.gov%2Fmdhhs%2Fkeep-mi-healthy%2Fcommunicablediseases%2Fdiseasesandimmunization%2Fmpv or https://link.zixcentral.com/u/27ebca09/7jJLihkf7RGgjWEWXNGfSw?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fpoxvirus%2Fmonkeypox%2Findex.html.
