Coloradans will have to travel to Denver for Monkeypox vaccines

COLORADO (KRDO) -- The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment is working to address the spread of the Monkeypox virus with a limited number of vaccines. There are currently eight recorded Monkeypox cases in Colorado, but officials estimate that the real number of cases is likely higher.

And to get those vaccines, Coloradans will have to travel to Denver.

"We're really using a data driven approach here to get vaccines to the area where we think the high risk population might most benefit from it,” said Nicole Comstock, the Interim Communicable Disease Branch Chief for the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.

Comstock says the vaccine distribution is concentrated in Denver because all of the recorded cases are located in the metro area.

In a Friday press release, the Department of Public Health & Environment announced the volume of their vaccine rollout, which includes 300 vaccines to be distributed this week. The vaccines will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis July 5, 8, and 9 at clinics located in the Denver area.

To meet those needs, the Department of Public Health & Environment is holding three more pop-up vaccine clinics in the city.

In order to get a vaccine, patients will have to make an appointment and also meet specific criteria due to the limited nature of the vaccines.

Eligible patients are "men aged 18 years and older who are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days," according to a July 1, CDPHE press release.

Those patients are eligible for vaccines based on data finding they are at a heightened risk. However, anyone can get Monkeypox if they come into contact with a person who has the disease.

The El Paso County Public Health Department said there are no recorded Monkeypox cases in the county right now, and they haven't heard any discussion about opening a vaccine clinic in Colorado Springs.

Comstock said CDPHE is waiting to receive more vaccines from the federal government. Once they receive more vaccines, they will begin the process of deciding where in the state to send those vaccines.

You can start the process of getting a vaccine appointment in the Denver area here.