High Risk? You Can Now Get A Monkeypox Vaccine In Idaho

There have so far been six cases of monkeypox documented in Idaho, and experts aren't playing around when it comes to stopping the spread.

Before we dive into what's being done, what exactly is monkeypox? Let's turn to the CDC:

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.

Needless to say, monkeypox is dangerous, and you definitely don't want to mess around with it.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has decided that the best way to combat the spread of the virus is with vaccinations, which unfortunately are limited for now in Idaho.

The first to get offered a vaccination are those in high-risk categories. Dr. Christine Hahn, part of the IDHW, elaborates on who exactly is considered high-risk:

If you believe you are at high risk for getting Monkeypox, for example, you are a man who has sex with men, you’re sexually active. Yes, you are a candidate for the vaccine reach out to your provider or your local health department to see how you can access that.

However, experts do want people to realize that monkeypox is not an STI. It can be transferred in numerous ways. Hahn continues:

Everything that we are seeing so far around the world, and in the United States suggests that close skin to skin contact is by far and away appears how this is spreading, we do know there is a possibility with close lengthy contact let’s say in a household setting that you can have it maybe just by talking and being very close to someone when they are highly contagious early in the disease.

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