Monkeypox: Vaccine available, review criteria

Updated September 16, 2022

If you are experiencing monkeypox symptoms or have been exposed to someone infected with monkeypox, please call us at 360-882-2778 and ask to speak with an advice nurse.

If you are interested in receiving the monkeypox vaccine, please review the criteria below to see if you qualify. Then call 360-882-2778 and ask to speak with an advice nurse.

Most people do not need to be vaccinated against monkeypox. However, patients who have been exposed or who are at high risk of being exposed may benefit from the vaccine.

Monkeypox vaccine criteria

Public health has prioritized the monkeypox vaccine for:

• Gay and bisexual men and transgender individuals who have had multiple or anonymous gay, male bisexual, or transgender sex partners in the last 3 months.
• People who have used methamphetamine in the last 3 months.
• People who have exchanged sex for money, drugs, or other purposes in the past 3 months.
• People who have been sexually assaulted, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
• People who have had sexual contact or prolonged skin-to-skin exposure with people who were exposed to monkeypox virus (MPV).

In addition, contacts of an MPV case who are identified by public health, as well as presumed contacts who either report that a sex partner was diagnosed with MPV in the past 14 days, or who report multiple sex partners in the past 14 days in a jurisdiction with known MPV, are eligible.

If you believe you qualify for the vaccine, please call 360-882-2778. Or send a message to your clinician using MyChart.

Community risk low

Vancouver Clinic is closely monitoring the number of monkeypox cases in our community. While there has been a recent increase in monkeypox infections across the U.S., for most people, the risk of getting the virus remains low.

More information on monkeypox transmission and symptoms is available from the Washington State Department of Health.