Free clinic offers vaccine for monkeypox
Apr. 25—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Although the virus formerly known as monkeypox is no longer classified as a health emergency in the United States, Johnstown's free medical clinic is taking steps to allow vulnerable individuals to protect themselves against the ongoing threat.
Highland Health is now offering JYNNEOS vaccine against the mpox virus and has scheduled a community outreach vaccine clinic from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Lucy's Place, 520 Washington St.
Formerly a rare disease in humans that was mostly confined to West and Central Africa, the virus exploded in the gay communities of cities around the world last summer after a strain of mpox started passing from human to human. Much of the outbreak was traced to gay rave events in Spain and Belgium that attracted international crowds in May 2022.
Cases started showing up in cities around the world, almost exclusively in gay and bisexual men.
"It hit the gay community very hard because there was not a response," Highlands Health nurse Colleen Tretter said on Monday.
Although governments and health authorities spread the alarm, most reports downplayed the connection with the gay communities, the New York Times reported. It wasn't until gay leaders themselves launched their own awareness campaign that the communities began to take heed, canceling gatherings and offering advice to limit sex partners.
"The LGBTQ+ community really championed the response," Tretter said.
The outbreak peaked at more than 450 new U.S. cases a day in early August, but then fell to fewer than five cases a day by the end of January. That's when the federal government declared an end to the mpox emergency.
It was brought under control through changes in sexual habits and the vaccine, which had its production increased in early August.
Highlands Health Executive Director Rosalie Danchanko said the vaccine campaign didn't reach more rural areas of the country, so she and her staff applied for and received a grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation.
"This area is most vulnerable to an outbreak of mpox because of our high overdose rate," she said. "(Sexually transmitted diseases) are on the rise, nationally. This is part of it."
In addition to Saturday's clinic at Lucy's Place, Highland Health is offering walk-in vaccinations at its 315 Locust St. headquarters and has scheduled another clinic from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday at its Somerset office in UPMC Somerset.
The JYNNEOS vaccine requires two doses, given four weeks apart, so Highlands Health will be back at Lucy's Place from 8 to 10 p.m. May 27 and at the Somerset office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 2 for second doses.
Anyone who receives both doses from Highlands Health will receive a $25 gift certificate, Danchanko said.
"This is another example of the clinic going to where we think the most vulnerable population is," she said.
Highlands Health has also been providing the latest COVID-19 bivalent vaccine for area homeless shelters.
