After leading the nation in monkeypox cases per capita in July, DC Health officials are launching limited walk-up vaccine clinics on Fridays starting August 5.
The three monkeypox clinics will operate between noon and 8 PM near Congress Heights (Ward 8), Shepherd Park (Ward 4), and Foggy Bottom (Ward 1). Each site will carry 300 doses a day, and operate on a first-come, first-serve basis for eligible residents over 18. Currently, the criteria for eligibility—besides being a District resident with proof of residency— are as follows:
- Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and have had multiple (more than one) sexual partners or any anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days
- Transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men
- Sex workers (of any sexual orientation/gender)
- Staff (of any sexual orientation/gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs)
DC Health officials say the goal is to distribute at least one dose—which has proven effective in providing protection for at least six months—to as many high-risk individuals as possible. There are currently more than 200 reported monkeypox cases across DC; meanwhile California, Illinois, and New York—home to the three largest US cities—have all declared a state of emergency due to the quickly spreading disease. Since the start of August, DC Health has administered more than 10,500 doses and pre-registered more than 23,000 District residents for vaccines. The walk-up clinics aim to help individuals who don’t have the ability or technological access to pre-register online, or who may not feel comfortable providing their eligibility information (which is kept confidential).
For more information, see DC Health guidelines here.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
