The Union County Board of County Commissioners would like to announce that the County of Union will now operate the first monkeypox vaccination clinic for Union County, beginning next week. Union County’s Office of Health Management is hosting the clinic at the Warinanco Sports Center, located at 1 Park Drive in Roselle, beginning Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
“We are proud to work in collaboration with the State of New Jersey to bring all these free vaccine clinics to Union County and push back on the monkeypox virus,” said Union County Chair Rebecca Williams. “This new site will make it easier for eligible residents to have a vaccine appointment close to home and stay protected.”
As of mid-August, Union County has had a total of 55 reported monkeypox cases. At the clinic, the Union County Office of Health Management will be administering the Jynneos vaccine to eligible and high-risk residents ages 1-17 and 18 years and older. A limited supply was allocated by the NJ Department of Health.
The Jynneos vaccine is a two-dose series, given 28 days apart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends receiving both doses of the vaccine, as the level of protection for one dose is unknown. Residents who have been vaccinated against monkeypox by the Union County Office of Health Management will automatically be scheduled for a second dose appointment.
First Dose Appointments:
- September 14, 2022: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- September 15, 2022: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- September 16, 2022: 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Second Dose Appointments:
- October 12, 2022: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- October 13, 2022: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- October 14, 2022: 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Attended an event where known monkeypox (HMPVX) exposure happened within the past 14 days.
- Had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days in areas where monkeypox (hMPXV) has been reported.
- Persons who are at continued risk for occupational exposure.
Appointments are strongly recommended
They can be scheduled at https://ucnj.org/monkeypox/ until all available slots are filled. Residents can click that link and follow the prompts to make an appointment for your monkeypox vaccination. Select ‘Jynneos 1-17’ or ‘Jynneos 18+’ from the drop-down menu.
What You Need to Know
- Monkeypox (also known as hMPXV or MPXV) is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus.
- It can cause a rash that can look like pimples or blisters and can also cause a flu-like sickness (fever, cough, headache, body aches, chills, feeling very tired, etc.).
- Monkeypox can spread to any person – most likely through close, skin-to-skin contact with someone with monkeypox, or through saliva or other body fluids.
- It can also spread through touching things or surfaces, especially clothes, bedding, and towels that have been used by someone with monkeypox and not disinfected.
- Symptoms start within 3 weeks of being exposed to the virus.
- If you start having flu-like symptoms, a rash will usually come 1-4 days later.
- The rash can be on the face, inside the mouth, chest, hands, feet, genitals, or anus and starts as small, reddish spots. It then develops into blisters that fill with pus (liquid from infected tissue).
- Monkeypox can spread from the time a rash starts to the time a rash has fully healed with a new layer of skin.
- This usually takes two to four weeks.
Residents may also call the County of Union Vaccination hotline if they need assistance in making and managing appointments at 908-613-7VAX (7829).