NH Rolls Out Monkeypox Vaccines

By Paul Cuno-Booth
NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO
The monkeypox vaccine is becoming more widely available in New Hampshire, with eight ConvenientMD clinics around the state now offering the shot, state health officials announced Monday.

“We recommend that anybody who has been exposed to the monkeypox virus and anybody who is at high risk for being exposed get vaccinated as soon as possible,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in a news release.

Vaccines are newly available at ConvenientMD locations in Belmont, Concord, Dover, Keene, Littleton, Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth.

Coos County Family Health in Berlin, Keady Family Practice in Claremont and White Mountain Community Health in Conway also offer the shots. The Nashua Health Department is providing the vaccine to uninsured or underinsured individuals in the Nashua area.

Health officials say the virus is primarily spreading among men who have sex with men, but it can infect anyone. New Hampshire has reported 19 monkeypox cases to date, according to the CDC.

People in New Hampshire are eligible for the vaccine if they have been exposed to the virus within the last 14 days or are considered at higher risk for exposure. That includes men who have sex with men who take HIV-prevention medication, have had three or more new partners in the last month or engage in group or anonymous sex. More information on monkeypox vaccine eligibility is available here.

To get a referral for the vaccine, patients should first contact their health care providers. Those without insurance can also call ConvenientMD directly.

ConvenientMD locations in Bedford, Londonderry, Merrimack, Stratham and Windham are slated to start offering vaccinations Sept. 7, according to the state. Meanwhile, Lebanon-based Dartmouth Health will offer vaccination appointments starting Friday.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.