JACKSON, Miss.  – The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) will host a special monkeypox vaccination clinic on Friday, August 26, inside the Jackson Medical Mall across from the Hinds County Health Department. During this event, there will be additional staff on-site to accommodate expanded vaccination appointments from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Adults 18 and older are eligible for the vaccine if:

• They have been in close physical contact (including household or sexual contact) with someone diagnosed with monkeypox,
• Or they identify as gay, bisexual, or as other men who have sex with men, or as a transgender individual, and they report:
  • having multiple or anonymous sex partners,
  • or having attended an event or venue where monkeypox may have been transmitted (for instance, by sex or skin-to-skin contact).

Individuals interested in monkeypox vaccine who meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to contact the Call Center at 1-877-978-6453 to determine their eligibility and a make vaccination appointment. Walk-ins are welcome. The vaccination clinic is in the Jackson Medial Mall directly across the hall from the Hinds County Health Department. A brief confidential screening for eligibility will be conducted for individuals who walk-in prior to administering the vaccine.

The Mississippi State Department of Health also offers free monkeypox vaccinations available by appointment at health department locations in Lee, Panola, Leflore, Lowndes, Lauderdale, Adams, Hinds, Forrest and Harrison counties.

 

If you are at risk for monkeypox, you can help prevent infection by avoiding close skin-to-skin or intimate contact with people who may be infected, and you should be vaccinated if you are eligible. If you develop a new or unexplained rash, especially if you have been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox, isolate at home and contact your healthcare provider for testing.

For more information on monkeypox, visit HealthyMS.com/monkeypox.

Follow MSDH by email and social media at HealthyMS.com/connect.