Published on May 24, 2022. Last modified on September 24, 2024
Monkeypox (Mpox) Overview
Monkeypox (Mpox) is a virus that spreads through prolonged skin to skin
contact, sex, kissing, breathing at very close range, or sharing
bedding, towels and clothing.
It can be serious and painful, though most cases resolve on their own.
Having sex or close contact with multiple people can put you at higher
risk for mpox when it is spreading in the community.
Mpox appears as a distinctive rash or sores on the skin anywhere on the
body, especially in the genital area. It often begins with
flu-like symptoms.
Mpox vaccine is available from your medical provider and at local pharmacies. Find a pharmacy location near you by visiting the Vaccines.gov website.
Monterey County Health Department is working with the California
Department of Public Health and other local health departments to
monitor mpox, reduce stigma, provide health education, and help control
the spread of the virus.
Mpox often begins as a flu-like illness. It also appears as a
distinctive rash or sores or spots that can look like pimples or
blisters on the skin anywhere on the body, especially in the
genital area. Spots can also be inside the rectum, on fingers, or
in the mouth and eyes.
Generally, the spots start as red, flat spots and then become
bumps. Those bumps then become filled with fluid which turns
to pus. The bumps are often painful. The pus bump then
breaks and crusts over into a scab. The scabs may be
itchy. If bumps are in the rectum, some people have
also reported pain or discomfort inside their rectum.
Some people never get a rash. They may have a fever,
swollen glands, or muscle aches. Some people get a rash and
other symptoms together. Some get one symptom followed by
another. And for some people, symptoms start with a fever
and only two or three spots.
More information about symptoms is available on the
CDC's website.
MPX can be spread through:
Direct skin-to-skin contact with rash lesions
Sexual/intimate contact, including kissing (please not that
condoms do not fully protect against mpox transmission because
of skin to skin contact in other areas)
Living in a house and sharing a bed with someone who has mpox
Sharing towels or unwashed clothing with someone who has mpox
Respiratory secretions through prolonged face-to-face
interactions (the type that mainly happen when living with
someone or caring for someone who has mpox)
Mpox is not spread through:
Casual, brief conversations
Walking by someone with monkeypox, like in a grocery store
Swimming pools or hot tubs
Dancing at a party outside with people wearing clothes covering
most of their bodies
Currently the virus is known to be spread in fluid or pus from
mpox sores, and the CDC and other scientists are trying to better
understand if virus could be present in semen, vaginal fluids or
other body fluids.
More information about mpox transmission is available on the
CDC's website.
There are number of ways to prevent the spread of mpox,
including:
Always talk to your sexual partner/s about any recent illness
and be aware of new or unexplained sores or rashes on your
body or your partner’s body, including on the genitals and
anus
Avoiding close contact, including sex, with people with
symptoms like sores or rashes
Practicing good hand hygiene
People who become infected should isolate until their
symptoms are improving or have gone away completely.
Rash should always be well covered until completely healed.
Using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) (like a
mask, gown, and gloves) when caring for others with
symptoms
Avoiding contact with infected materials contaminated with the
virus
If you have symptoms:
Cover the area of the rash with clean, dry, loose-fitting
clothing
Wear a well-fitted mask
Avoid skin-to-skin contact and close contact with others
Talk to a healthcare provider as soon as possible
Stay away from other people
Let sex partners know about any symptoms you have
CDPH - Home Isolation Guidance for the General Public
(English)(Spanish)
If you had close, skin-to-skin contact with a person
diagnosed with mpox virus or if other factors place you at
high risk for mpox, you may be eligible to receive a mpox
vaccine. Contact your medical provider or call the Monterey
County Health Department at 831-755-4521 (Monday through
Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm). Vaccine is ideally given within 4
days from the last close contact but can be given up to 14
days from last known close contact with a person diagnosed
with mpox virus while they were infectious.
Watch for signs and symptoms of mpox through 21 days from
your exposure to a person infectious.
Mpox symptoms can be similar to other illnesses. If you
think you might have mpox, it is important to be evaluated
by a medical provider. Before going to a clinic, call ahead
to see if your doctor has any special instructions for you
before you arrive, like wearing a mask.
If your doctor orders a mpox virus test, stay home until
you receive your test results. Avoid close, personal,
skin-to-skin contact with people in your household. Don’t
share towels or bedding, and keep blisters or bumps covered,
if it is comfortable to do so.
A list of local medical clinics can be found on
United Way’s 2-1-1 website. Please call first. Some clinics may not offer MPX
screening services.
CDPH- Home Isolation Guidance for the General Public
(English)
As of June 30, 2024, there have been 25 cases of mpox
reported among Monterey County residents. The
California Department of Public Health's website
provides information on the number of cases of mpox in
California by County, as well as limited information on
demographic groups affected by the virus. Information about
cases by state can be found on the
CDC's Monkeypox Situational Summary website.
Upcoming MPOX Vaccine Clinics
There are currently no upcoming mpox immunization clinics.
Schedule an Mpox Vaccination Appointment
County of Monterey Health Department continues to prioritize
vaccination for individuals who want protection from mpox.
Individuals can call the County of Health Department’s
Communicable Disease Unit at (831) 755-4521 to schedule mpox
vaccination appointment at its 1270 Natividad Road, Salinas,
location. To ensure adequate supply is available, vaccination
is by appointment only.
JYNNEOS Vaccine (MPX Vaccine)
JYNNEOS vaccine is approved by the
US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for prevention of smallpox and mpox. JYNNEOS vaccine
reduces the risk of getting mpox and protects against severe
disease. The vaccine can be given in two ways – subcutaneously
or intradermally. Subcutaneous is the more common way to get a
vaccination. The vaccine is injected into the arm, between the
skin and the muscle. Intradermal means the vaccine is injected
between the top layers of skin. An intradermal dose is usually
given on the forearm and makes a small bubble under the skin.
Individuals can also ask to get the intradermal dose on their
back below the shoulder blade, or on their upper arm.
Intradermal injections use a much smaller amount of the
vaccine, which allowed many more people to get vaccinated when
there was not enough JYNNEOS vaccine for everyone who needed
it. Now that there is an adequate supply of JYNNEOS vaccine,
individuals can choose how they get it. Both methods provide
the same amount of protection against mpox. Read more about
both methods of vaccine administration
here.
JYNNEOS is administered as two injections given at least 28
days apart. The vaccine offers the best protection 2 weeks
after the second dose has been completed. It is important to
get the second dose of the JYNNEOS vaccine even if a person
receives it late. Restarting the series is not necessary if
the second dose is delayed. Boosters are not recommended at
this time
(JYNNEOS Vaccine, CDC).
Since no vaccine is 100% effective, it is important for
individuals to continue to reduce their risk of potential
exposures to mpox both before and after being vaccinated.
Learn more about other
mpox prevention methods.
Health equity remains a high priority for the County of
Monterey Health Department. County of Monterey Health
Department is following Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and CDPH guidance on mpox vaccination
strategies.
Vaccine Eligibility Criteria:
Anyone who wants protection from mpox may receive the JYNNEOS
vaccine. Immunization providers may now offer JYNNEOS vaccine to:
Any patients who MAY be at risk, and to
Anyone who requests vaccination
Given current adequate supply, there is no longer any
“eligibility” criteria; individuals who request vaccination no
longer need to attest to specific risk factors in order to get
vaccinated.
Vaccination continues to be encouraged for individuals at
increased risk for mpox, including:
Individuals who have had a known exposure to mpox and need
post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Individuals with occupation (job-related) risk, including:
Healthcare workers who are likely to collect laboratory
specimens from patients with mpox (e.g., persons working
in sexual health clinics or clinical settings that serve
at-risk populations)
Any occupational group recommended by Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to get the vaccine
Individuals living with HIV, especially those with risk of
complications of mpox, such as persons with a CD4 count
<350/mm3, an unsuppressed viral load, or who have had an
opportunistic infection
Any man or trans individual who has sex with men or trans
individuals
Those who are taking or are eligible to take HIV PrEP
Sex workers, individuals who have survival sex or exchange
sex, and individuals who have had sex at a commercial sex
venue or public event
Individuals who have had close contact, within the past 6
months, with someone with suspected or confirmed mpox
Individuals who had sex or close contact, within the past 6
months, at a venue or event, or within a social group, with
a suspected or confirmed mpox case. This includes
individuals who received notice from a venue or event of a
potential exposure.
Individuals diagnosed, in the past 3 months, with a
bacterial sexually transmitted disease (for example:
chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis)
Sexual contacts of any individuals included above
Individuals who anticipate experiencing the above risks,
including individuals with multiple sex partners
Public Health continues to collaborate with community partner
organizations that already serve individuals at increased risk
and have been connecting those individuals to appointments at
pop-up mpox vaccination sites operated by the County of
Monterey Health Department.
Schedule a MPOX Vaccination Appointment
County of Monterey Health Department continues to prioritize
vaccination for individuals who want protection from mpox.
Individuals can call the County of Health Department’s
Communicable Disease Unit at (831) 755-4521 to schedule mpox
vaccination appointment at its 1270 Natividad Road, Salinas,
location. To ensure adequate supply is available, vaccination
is by appointment only.
If you have a rash or spots, your healthcare provider can
test you for mpox virus. They will rub a swab on the
spots and send the swab to a laboratory for testing.
Your healthcare provide may also do blood and urine tests at
the same time. Other illnesses like herpes and
syphilis cause bumps that look like mpox virus, so it may be
important to check for other infections at the same time.
While you are waiting for your test results, you should:
Stay home and away from other people until your healthcare
provider contacts you with your test results
Don't use public transportation
Get in touch with people you've had sex or close contact
with; ask them to see a medical provider and be evaluated
for testing
Most people get well from mpox without needing any medicines
or other treatment.
There is no medicine that the FDA has approved for mpox
infection treatment.
However, there is one medicine that is used for severe mpox,
called tecovirimat or TPOXX. It is allowed as an
"investigational" or "compassionate use" drug in special
circumstances for people who have severe mpox.
Right now, TPOXX is only available at a few treatment
centers in California. Talk with your health care provider
if you think you need TPOXX because of a special condition
or severe disease. Your health care provider will work
with the health department or other medical providers to
obtain TPOXX if it is needed.
More information about mpox can be found at the links
below.
Monterey County Health Department Communicable Disease
Unit: 831-755-4521 (Monday through Friday, 8:00am to
4:30pm). For social media updates, please follow us on
Facebook:
@MCHDPrevention
and Twitter:
@WashCoverStay
Disclaimer: Although the Monterey County
Health Department website may include links providing direct
access to other Internet resources, including websites, the
Monterey County Health Department is not responsible for the
accuracy or content of information contained in these sites.
