South Carolina health officials expand MPX vaccine eligibility to cover most queer, trans men
For the second time this week, South Carolina health department officials on Friday announced an expansion to who is eligible to be vaccinated against MPX, the virus also known as monkeypox.
The new eligibility guidelines are simpler than the ones announced on Monday, which required individuals to share details about their sexual activities and whether they have contracted a sexually transmitted infection recently.
Starting Tuesday, Sept. 6, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control will get rid of that requirement. Here are the eligible groups now:
- People who have been exposed to a confirmed positive case of MPX
- Gay, bisexual, transgender, gender fluid or gender nonbinary people who have sex with men
- Anyone taking PrEP, the HIV prevention treatment
State health officials said the change in vaccine eligibility is to protect more South Carolinians at higher risk of being exposed to and contracting the virus.
“We continue to work to control the spread of this disease and a critical element of that is getting as many people as possible vaccinated among those who are at higher risk of exposure,” State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said in a statement. “If we can stop spread in the higher risk groups, then we can stop it for everyone.”
Risk to the general public from the virus is still fairly low, health officials said in a press release.
“(MPX) is not easily transmitted from person to person,” health officials said in the press release. “It can be spread through prolonged face-to-face contact, skin-to-skin contact, including direct contact with infectious sores or scabs as well as during intimate contact such as sex, kissing, hugging, and touching fabrics and objects used by a person with MPX.”
Anyone with concerns about MPX or who would like to make an appointment to get a vaccine can call the state’s care line at (855) 472-3432 or go online and use the DHEC Web Chat.
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 2:31 PM.
