San Luis Obispo County Public Health is teaming up with the Gala Pride & Diversity Center to host a monkeypox (MPX) vaccination clinic on Friday, October 14.
The clinic will take place from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 1060 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo.
Both first and second doses of the vaccine will be available.
Those who qualify to receive the vaccine include San Luis Obispo County residents 18 years of age and older who:
- Identify as gay, bisexual, and other men or trans people who have sex with men, OR
- Identify as sex workers of any sexual orientation or gender identity, including those who engage in transactional or survival sex, OR
- Have had close contact with someone diagnosed with MPX, OR
- Are sexual partners of people with the above risks, OR
- Anticipate experiencing the above risks, OR
- Are healthcare workers who are likely to examine or collect laboratory specimens from persons with MPX.
The MPX vaccine is also available by appointment at Public Health clinics in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. To schedule an appointment, contact the SLO County Public Health Department at (805) 781-5500 or publichealth.contact@co.slo.ca.us.
The symptoms of MPX are often flu-like, including chills, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, and are followed by a rash or sores. Health officials say it spreads primarily through close, often skin-to-skin contact with people who have symptoms or, less commonly, with unwashed materials used by someone with symptoms.
So far, just one case of MPX has been confirmed in SLO County.
