Dallas County expands monkeypox vaccine eligibility
DALLAS COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas County Health & Human Services has expanded the eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine.
On Aug. 23, DCHHS added the following eligibility requirements:
- Men (cisgender and transgender) and transwomen who have sex with men who had skin-to-skin or intimate contact (e.g., kissing, hugging) with persons at large venues or events in the past 14 days.
- Persons 18 years of age or older who were diagnosed with HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea or early syphilis within the past 12 months or are on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
There are 444 cases of monkeypox in Dallas County - four female and 440 male, according to DCHHS. Monkeypox was declared a health emergency on Aug. 11.
On Aug. 18, DCHHS began staging a drive-thru monkeypox vaccination clinic outside its offices. You can call DCHHS to make an appointment, at 214-819-2000.
It's recommended you go through your private insurance for monkeypox testing. Parkland Hospital and Prism Health are also offering testing.
