Drive-thru monkeypox vaccine clinic opens in Fresno. Here’s who can get the shot
Starting Wednesday, eligible Fresno residents can get their monkeypox vaccine the same way many received their COVID-19 vaccines.
Fresno County Public Health Department is partnering with UCSF-Fresno for a drive-thru vaccine clinic across from Fashion Fair Mall.
The drive-thru clinic, located at 550 E. Shaw Ave. in Fresno, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“We’re so excited about it because our community has responded to this site and UCSF is such a trusted partner that we think we’re going to be able to get a lot of vaccines done,” said Joe Prado, assistant director for Fresno County Public Health Department.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an amendment to a pre-existing contract with UCSF-Fresno that makes the vaccine clinic possible.
The Centers for Disease Control recently adjusted guidelines for administering the vaccine, so now the county can vaccinate more people, Prado said.
Fresno EOC already has been administering monkeypox vaccines and will continue, Prado said.
“That’s something we learned during COVID,” Prado said. “It’s never one solution is good for all. You need to provide multiple access points, and that’s what we’re able to do with the UCSF and Fresno EOC partnerships.”
As of last week, the Fresno County Health Department had confirmed 13 cases in the county.
Before administering the vaccine, health providers will conduct a brief screening process to determine what kind of allocation is appropriate for each patient. The amount of vaccine administered from each vial depends on the patient’s specific health needs.
Vaccines will be available on a first come, first-served basis.
County health officials will continue to monitor the spread of monkeypox in Fresno County to determine if mobile clinics are necessary in smaller, rural communities or for the unhoused population.
“Please come out and get vaccinated,” Prado said.
Who is eligible for the vaccine?
The virus is transmissible from the moment symptoms present to the moment that all MPX lesions have fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed at the lesion sites, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Monkeypox can be spread through direct skin-to-skin contact with lesions or scabs, or with bodily fluids such as drainage from skin lesions or saliva that was in contact with oral lesions. It also can be spread by touching items that previously touched lesions or bodily fluids from those infected.
Fresno County residents eligible for the vaccine include:
Anyone who has been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox
Laboratory workers, certain clinicians, and public health response team members who routinely handle monkeypox virus samples for diagnosis or testing purposes or has a high-risk occupational exposure.
Anyone who has attended an event or venue within the past 14 days where a known monkeypox exposure occurred.
Sex workers of any sexual orientation or gender identity.
Gay, bisexual and other men or trans people who have sex with men and meet at least one of the following criteria: HIV diagnosis within the last 12 months; Are on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); Were diagnosed with gonorrhea, chlamydia, and/or syphilis within the past 12 months; Engaged in sex with multiple partners in the past 14 days.
