The Polis administration announced new steps and resources in combating the nation's monkeypox Public Health Emergency on Thursday.
The administration announced more steps for Colorado to continue to combat monkeypox including additional vaccine clinics, expansion of testing, and acceleration of the manufacturing and distribution of the monkeypox vaccine.
The governor also applauded the Biden Administration's declaration of the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency.
Since mid-May, Colorado has amplified its response to the monkeypox outbreak by increasing testing at the state laboratory and hosting multiple vaccine clinics to administer the current limited supply of vaccines.
“Colorado has been at the forefront of responding to the monkeypox virus. We administer or distribute the extremely limited supply of vaccines that the federal government provides us as soon as we receive them. We will continue to advocate for more vaccines and are pleased to hear more are on the way,” said Governor Polis.
Currently, the state has enrolled more than 30 providers statewide who actively administer and distribute the monkeypox vaccine.
The Department of Public Health will be administering at least 480 additional doses of the vaccine through August 13th. The clinics and schedules are currently fully booked.
However, if you are concerned about the monkeypox virus and concerned you may be at risk, CDPHE has a form for Coloradans to determine if they are eligible to receive the vaccine per the current criteria.
Coloradans can confirm their eligibility by filling out the online form. Eligible Coloradans who complete the form will be added to a waitlist and contacted when more clinics are scheduled as more vaccines become available from the federal government.
“We’re ready for the additional vaccines and are standing up even more vaccine clinics across the state with the help of our local partners,” said Scott Bookman, division director, Disease Control and Public Health Response, CDPHE. “Even though this is a very different disease than COVID-19 and it spreads differently, we have leveraged all of the lessons we learned from the pandemic to stand up an efficient response.”
To date, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has:
- 9,665 doses of the vaccine from the federal government
- Ordered an additional 5,080 doses
- Administered nearly 2,000 doses of Jynneos vaccine at 17 CDPHE clinics
- Redistributed more than 2,620 doses to local providers
- Tested specimens from 274 people at the state lab
To be as transparent as possible and get Coloradans' critical information, the state has a data dashboard that it updates at 10 a.m. Tuesday-Friday. As of August 4, Colorado has 79 cases.
People who are experiencing symptoms of monkeypox or think they have been exposed to monkeypox should contact a health care provider to discuss testing.
Many providers can now submit specimens through commercial laboratory networks such as Aegis Science, Labcorp, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics, and Sonic Healthcare.
If you do not have a health care provider or do not have insurance, visit CDPHE’s monkeypox webpage for a list of monkeypox testing locations.
If you have a rash or sores, cover them with long sleeves, pants, or a bandage. Wear a well-fitting mask over your nose and mouth during your appointment.
Patients can take this document with them to their medical visits.
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