El Paso has administered the mpox vaccine to more than 500 people since 2022 when the global mpox outbreak began, according to data provided by the city health department.
Mpox is an infectious viral disease similar to smallpox and transmitted through close contact with an infected person or contaminated object. Infected people can develop a rash of painful blisters on the face, genitals and other areas of contact. The lesions crust over and can take two to three weeks to fall off. Infected people can also develop flu-like symptoms such as fever.
The version of mpox found in the United States primarily affects men who have sex with men, though anyone can become infected if they come in contact with lesions.
El Paso reported its first case of mpox in August 2022. Some queer men in El Paso criticized the city’s response at the time, saying the health department did not make it clear to the public when vaccines were available, who was eligible for them and how to make an appointment.
Data from the health department show El Paso had confirmed seven cases total, mostly men whose ages range from 27 to 53. The outbreak slowed down after a nationwide peak in 2022, with El Paso reporting no mpox cases so far this year.
Texas, however, saw an overall uptick again of mpox cases over the summer.
How is the new mpox outbreak different?
The first human case of mpox was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. It was formerly known as monkeypox until November 2022 when the World Health Organization replaced the term, citing racist stigma.
Following the start of the 2022 outbreak of clade II mpox that reached El Paso, an outbreak of the more severe and transmissible clade I mpox began in January 2023 in Congo. Sexual contact between men is not the primary avenue for spread.
Almost all clade 1 cases have been reported in Congo and Central Africa, though Sweden and Thailand reported their first clade I cases last month. More than 600 people have died from clade I mpox, the majority of which are children under 15.
White House officials said last month the government is preparing for clade I’s possible arrival to the United States by expanding its wastewater surveillance, NBC News reported. Viral shedding can be detected in stool, making wastewater detection one of the most accurate ways to analyze the spread of disease.
Colorized micrograph of mpox particles found within an infected cell. (Courtesy of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, via Creative Commons)
While no cases of clade I mpox have been reported in the United States, previous clade II hotspots have experienced a recent increase in cases. Texas Health and Human Services has reported 240 mpox cases so far this year in the public health regions that include Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio – more than total cases in 2023, but less than in 2022 when the state reported nearly 3,000 cases.
In September, mpox cases doubled in Los Angeles County some weeks, with unvaccinated people making up the majority of cases.
“It’s not a vaccine like COVID that you need to give to the whole community,” said Dr. Armando Meza, chief of infectious diseases at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso. “One advantage is this situation, the virus is not as transmissible to other people as COVID. It requires more close contact.”
How to get the mpox vaccine in El Paso
El Paso distributes the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine against mpox free of charge at its community health clinics. People can call 915-212-6520 to speak to an epidemiologist, who will screen them and set up an appointment based on their risk factors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for people in risk groups including:
People who’ve had exposure or suspected exposure to someone with mpox
Men who have had sex with a man or nonbinary person, who in the past six months were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease or had more than one sex partner
People who have had sex in the past six months in a geographic area where there is transmission of the mpox virus
People at risk for occupational exposure, such as in a laboratory
The mpox vaccine offers protection against both clades of mpox.
Dr. Ogechika Alozie, an El Paso infectious disease specialist, recommends only people in high-risk situations get the mpox vaccine, such as people who work in a health care setting where they’re exposed to patients with rashes and people traveling to the countries in Central or West Africa that are most affected by the outbreak.
He does not recommend the vaccine for the “run of the mill person,” especially when doses are limited.
“If you’re not in a high risk group, going out to get the vaccine is not of value,” Alozie said. “The vaccine is not well distributed nor as widely available as the COVID or flu vaccine. You might be taking it away from a health care worker or high risk group.”
The post Who should get the mpox vaccine in El Paso? What to know about outbreak appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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