NEW YORK – Efforts to distribute the monkeypox vaccine are ramping up across New York as the viral outbreak continues to spread.
Thousands of new appointments are opening up Friday in the city.
As CBS2’s Christina Fan reports, a new federal shipment of the monkeypox vaccine is here in New York City.
Beginning Friday at 6 p.m., more than 8,000 first dose appointments will be up for grabs. Many are hoping the process is smoother than earlier in the week, when the city’s website crashed due to high demand.
New York City on Friday reported 461 cases of monkeypox.
To improve access, the Health Department is opening up three mass vaccination sites along with an additional clinic on Staten Island.
On Long Island, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone boarded the Sayville Ferry Friday to show a pop-up clinic in Cherry Grove. Similar clinics will also be opening on the mainland.
“With appointments filling up in just an hour’s time, that made it clear that our residents wanted to get vaccinated to protect themselves and to protect their community,” Bellone said.
Watch Christina Fan’s report
In a place famous for fun in the sun, there’s a cloud of yet another health concern. The ferry to Fire Island was filled with some eager to hit the clinic before the beaches.
Julian Dorcelien called getting the vaccine his civic duty.
“Everyone is concerned, as they should be, and it’s not just amongst the gay community, it’s amongst everyone because everyone can get it,” he said.
Gary Sacks was also eager to get his vaccine.
“It’s a concern. We just lived through COVID, and at least there is a vaccine, so this is an amazing thing,” he said.
Suffolk County, working with Northwell, had 750 vaccine appointments in Cherry Grove and the Pines booked up instantly.
“Some of us remember the AIDS crisis. Some people took it serious, some people didn’t. I’m happy the community is taking it serious,” Dorcelien said.
Mainland pop-up vaccine pods begin next week in Hampton Bays and Westfield Mall.
HOW TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Experts encourage those at high risk — gay men with multiple sex partners or a known exposure — to be alert for the painful, rash-like illness.
“Malaise, pains, joint pain and then typically develop a rash,” said Dr. Annabella Salvador, with Northwell Health. “Things to look out for is always fever, rash, you should be concerned … These lesions can be definitely very painful, especially if they’re in the genital area or in the mouth, and that’s what you need to treat supportively.”
Monkeypox is rarely fatal, but the goal is to contain it.
“Our goal here is to contain the spread and make sure that this is not something that goes further,” Bellone said.
Just emerging from one pandemic, Fire Island visitors eager to stamp out another health threat were disappointed the vaccine is so scarce.
EJ Beverly got shut out.
“It’s a slow response, and not just like the slow response of COVID. HIV/AIDS in the ’80s, you would’ve thought that the governments would have learned a lot more. I mean, there’s been improvement, but there’s still a long way to go,” he said. “Better to be proactive than waiting for exposure and then get it. We take our responsibility seriously.”
“People concerned that they weren’t able to get an appointment. We need more vaccine,” said Henry Robin, with the Fire Island Pines Property Owners’ Association.
“I think similarly to the way people felt about the COVID vaccine, we have the ability to stop this sooner than it would naturally,” said Cherry Grove Property Owners’ Association President Tim Arnold.
But there is a sense of optimism that New York will secure more doses. For now, Suffolk has to reserve more than 1,200 of its allotment for the second dose given in four weeks. Full immunity doesn’t take effect until two weeks after the second dose.
Westchester County is also opening up a monkeypox clinic, appointment only, beginning Monday. Officials say the 12 cases there are no cause for alarm, but residents should be aware of symptoms.
“In monkeypox, there is no way to test unless you have the rash and a cotton swab is run across and sent to a molecular lab,” said Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer says Westchester is receiving a second shipment of 520 doses of monkeypox vaccine. They will be available at the county health clinic on Court Street in White Plains by appointment on Monday from noon to 3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Wednesday.
The CDC says as of Thursday, there are 1,470 cases in the United States. The U.S. Health Department says it placed an order Friday for another 2.5 million doses of the monkeypox vaccine.
