North Wake News

County of Wake issued the following announcement on Aug. 4.

Wake County Public Health is hosting a walk-in vaccination event on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wake County Public Health Center at 10 Sunnybrook Road in Raleigh.

“We’re hearing from residents who are anxious to receive the vaccine, so our team has mobilized quickly to hold this no-cost event to meet the demand,” said Sig Hutchinson, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “No appointment is necessary. This is an intentional step to remove any barriers to access. We invite those who are eligible to simply walk into our facility on Saturday and get the vaccine.”

This weekend’s pop-up monkeypox vaccination event will only be open to those 18 and older who meet the following eligibility criteria:

• People who have been in close physical contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox in the past 14 days (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis or PEP)

   

• Men who have sex with men, or transgender individuals, who report any of the following in the past 90 days:
  • Having multiple or anonymous sex partners
  • Being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection
  • Receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP

     

A brief screening will be conducted prior to administering the monkeypox vaccine. Due to the walk-in nature of the event and the need for the initial screening, expect wait times. PLEASE NOTE: Masks must be worn at all times while in the Public Health Center.

Wake County Public Health currently has about 550 doses and will distribute them until its vaccine supply is exhausted.

As of Aug. 3, there have been 6,617 confirmed monkeypox cases in the United States per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of today, 86 of those cases are in our state, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Wake County had its first confirmed case on July 6, and as of today, has a total of nine confirmed cases. Wake County Public Health, along with federal, state and local partners, is working closely together to investigate and monitor the current outbreak.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically involves flu-like symptoms. Symptoms of monkeypox can include:

• Fever;
• Headache;
• Muscle aches and backache;
• Swollen lymph nodes;
• Chills;
• Exhaustion; and
• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.

   

The illness can be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or with the chickenpox virus. Most infections last two to four weeks. 

Some of the ways to prevent and avoid the spread of monkeypox include:

• Knowing the symptoms and risk factors of the virus.
• Avoiding skin-to-skin contact with people who are showing a rash or skin sores, especially if they have a confirmed case of monkeypox.
• Be aware that in areas with known spread, participating in activities with close, personal, skin-to-skin contact may pose a higher risk of exposure.
• If you were recently exposed to the virus, contact a doctor or nurse to talk about whether you need a vaccine to prevent disease.
• Monitor your health for fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes and a new, unexplained rash.
• If you become ill, avoid contact with others until you receive medical care.

   

Monkeypox Vaccine

There are two vaccines licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration available for preventing monkeypox infection. North Carolina has received the JYNNEOS, also known as Imvamune or Imvanex, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of Monkeypox virus infections. According to the CDC, when properly administered before or after a recent exposure, these vaccines are an effective tool to protect people from illness.

More information on Wake County’s response can be found at WakeGov.com/monkeypox. Within the next 48 hours, an online screening form will be added to this website for vaccinations outside of Saturday’s event. 

Original source can be found here.