The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the Monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency. 

What to Do if You Believe You've Been Exposed to Monkeypox

Consult your healthcare provider if you think you have been exposed, are at a high risk for exposure, or to see if you should get vaccinated. The CDC recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed and people who are at higher risk of being exposed. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monkeypox website for more information here: CDC.

If your health care provider suspects a possible case of monkeypox, immediately contact your local health department or the 24/7 disease reporting hotline at (850) 245-4401. Local county health departments can help providers obtain monkeypox virus-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

Vaccination

The CDC recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed to monkeypox and people who are at higher risk of being exposed to monkeypox. Currently, this outbreak is largely affecting gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men. Talk to your health care provider if you think you have been exposed to monkeypox or are at high risk for exposure. People who may be eligible for vaccination include:

• People who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox
• People who may have been exposed to monkeypox, such as:
  • People who are aware that one of their sexual partners in the past 2 weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox
  • People who had multiple sexual partners in the past 2 weeks in an area with known monkeypox case

Schedule a Vaccination Appointment

The Florida Department of Health is offering the JYNNEOS vaccine by appointment only to individuals who are more likely to have been recently exposed to monkeypox. 

Vaccinations are taking place at the David Park Community Center, 108 N. 33rd Court in Hollywood. The site will be open Monday, August 15, 2022 through Friday, August 26, 2022. The vaccination site is by appointment only, walkups will not be accepted. 

• Visit vaccineappointmentbroward.com to schedule an appointment in Broward County.  Please note: if the link to schedule an appointment is inactive, that means all available appointment times have been filled. Please check back again frequently, as new appointment times become available.

If there are no appointments available, the Florida Department of Health recommends checking the page frequently as new appointments will be offered as additional vaccine becomes available.

Questions? Contact the Florida Department of Health in Broward at (954) 467-4700.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal.

Am I at risk of getting monkeypox?

People can get monkeypox if they have close, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has monkeypox. Early indications are that events with activities in which people engage in close, sustained skin-to-skin contact have resulted in cases of monkeypox. If you plan to attend an event, consider how much close, personal, skin-to-skin contact is likely to occur there.

What are some of the symptoms of monkeypox?

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and backache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion
• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.
  • The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.

Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.

Symptoms usually appear one to two weeks after infection.

What should I do if I have symptoms?

• See a healthcare provider if you notice a new or unexplained rash or other monkeypox symptoms.
• Remind the healthcare provider that monkeypox is circulating.
• Avoid close contact (including intimate physical contact) with others until a healthcare provider examines you.
• Avoid close contact with pets or other animals until a healthcare provider examines you.
• If you’re waiting for test results, follow the same precautions.
• If your test result is positive, stay isolated until your rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed.

How can monkeypox be prevented?

• Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox. Do not share eating utensils or cups or handle or touch their bedding, towels, or clothing.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

If you are sick with monkeypox

• Isolate at home
• If you have an active rash or other symptoms, stay in a separate room or area away from people or pets you live with, when possible.

Get answers to other frequently asked questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Current Statistics

See the latest data on the CDC’s U.S. Map & Case Count page.

See the latest data on the Florida Department of Health’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report.