Monkeypox cases rising in Louisville, free vaccine clinic scheduled for Saturday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Health officials are encouraging people to line up to get their shots to be better protected against monkeypox.

On Friday, Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness announced 15 cases have been reported in Louisville. Nine people are still in isolation, while six others have recovered.

Two weeks ago, there were just eight cases reported.

The health department said the risk is still low for most individuals but is encouraging those who meet specific criteria to be vaccinated.

The Kentucky Department of Public Health says only those who meet the following criteria can receive the vaccine at this time:

Anyone with a high or immediate risk of exposure to someone with monkeypox, meaning direct skin-to-skin contact or other close contact
Men who have sex with men, including those who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming, gender nonbinary
- Have had multiple or anonymous male, transgender or non-conforming sex partners in the past 14 days
- Have a diagnosis of gonorrhea and/or early syphilis within the past 12 months
- Are on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

On Saturday, Aug. 27, Norton Healthcare will host a free vaccination clinic in St. Matthews at 1001 Breckenridge Lane, Suite 113.

Two doses of the vaccine are required. Those who attend Saturday's vaccination clinic will have their second vaccine appointment scheduled on-site for Sept. 24, 2022.

Appointments for the pop-up clinic are required. To sign up, click here.

As of Friday morning, Norton Healthcare officials said more than 300 people had signed up. Dr. Kris Bryant said they've received enough supply to administer 535 vaccinations Saturday.

Bryant is a pediatric infectious diseases specialist with Norton Children’s Infectious Diseases Institute and a system epidemiologist with Norton Healthcare.

"This clinic is not for people who are sick," she said. "The vaccine doesn't help you once you are sick with monkeypox. The idea is to give the vaccine to prevent the development with monkeypox. There are other treatments that can help people with monkeypox so we want to make sure people who are sick get the right treatment and the right diagnosis."

Bryant said side effects aren't as severe as those experienced with COVID-19 vaccines. She said it is common to experience pain as well as swelling, redness or itching at the injection site. Bryant said fever, headaches, muscle aches and an upset stomach are also possible.

The monkeypox vaccine is non-replicating, meaning it does not contain the live virus. Therefore, someone who receives the vaccine, cannot get the virus from the shot.

"Full protection doesn't develop until two weeks after the second dose of vaccine," Bryant said. "If we give this vaccine very quickly to people who have been exposed, it can prevent the development of disease or make it not so bad."

If you feel ill or think you may have been exposed, health official recommend you contact your healthcare provider to be tested and treated.

"I think the most important message is for people to assess their own health risk and to take steps to lessen those risks and vaccination is one way to do that," Bryant said.