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Dec
23

Mpox vaccine

Who should get vaccinated

Public Health recommends the following people receive mpox vaccine:

  • Person who has had skin to skin or other close contact with someone with mpox, and/or
  • Gay or bisexual men, or any men or transgender/non-binary people who have sex with other men or transgender/non-binary people, and/or
  • Persons of any gender or sexual orientation who engage in commercial and/or transactional sex (e.g., sex in exchange for money, shelter, food, or other goods or needs)
  • Persons of any gender or sexual orientation traveling where clade I mpox is spreading between people and they anticipate experiencing any of the following:
    • Sex with a new partner
    • Sex at a commercial sex venue, like a sex club or bathhouse
    • Sex in exchange for money, drugs, or other goods or services
    • Sex in association with a large public event, such as a rave, party, or festival
    • Close non-sexual physical, intimate, or household contact with people who are at risk for mpox

Booster or additional vaccine doses are not currently recommended for people who are already fully vaccinated (received 2 doses at least 28 days apart) or who have had mpox infection in the past.

Talk to your health care provider to see if vaccination is recommended for you.  Health officials do not currently recommend vaccination for members of the general public who are not at high risk of exposure to mpox.

Options if you are eligible for vaccine

  • Contact your healthcare provider.
  • If you don't have a provider or health insurance, you can contact Public Health's Access and Outreach program, 1-800-756-5437 to be connected to a medical provider.
  • The Sexual Health Clinic at Harborview is also vaccinating people who are eligible for vaccine. Call the Sexual Health Clinic at 206-744-3590 to check availability.
  • CVS
  • Walgreens

Additional clinics

Frequently asked questions

The mpox outbreak is ongoing with new types or clades of virus emerging. People who are vaccinated may have lower risk of severe disease or complications, but infection may still occur.

Please consider additional steps to reduce your risk of mpox, including decreasing the number of sex and intimate contact partners to protect yourself from mpox even if fully vaccinated.

CDC recommends that people get the vaccine within 4 days of being exposed for the best chance of preventing mpox. If vaccine is given within a couple weeks of exposure, it can still help reduce the severity of symptoms but may not prevent onset of disease.

Yes, if you received the first dose at a community event more than 28 days ago, you may receive a second dose at the Sexual health Clinic at Harborview or another private provider if vaccines are available.

Get the second dose of the two-dose vaccine at least four weeks after the first dose. Do not try to get a second dose early, as this may result in decreased effectiveness of the vaccine. You will start to build protection in the days and weeks after your first dose, but the vaccine won’t have its full effect until approximately two weeks after the second dose.

There is no maximum interval between doses so long as the second dose is given at least 28 days following the first dose. If there is an extended interval between doses, there is no need to restart or add doses to the series.

Read the CDC's Vaccine Information Statement, "Smallpox/Monkeypox Vaccine (JYNNEOS™): What You Need to Know".

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