Monkeypox vaccines to be available to more people as New York broadens eligibility rules

Eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine is being expanded by New York State beyond the current criteria to anyone “who may be at risk of future exposure to infection with monkeypox, even though they are not at high risk of a recent exposure.”

For months, eligibility had been restricted to groups such as men who have anonymous or random sex with other men.

The expansion, announced in a news release Wednesday morning by New York State’s Department of Health, comes as an additional 3,840 vials are being distributed to the state from the federal government, including 240 to Nassau County.

Suffolk, which the state has targeted due to the presence of Fire Island's same-sex vacation destinations Cherry Grove and the Pines, isn't scheduled to get any vials from the latest shipment.

Localities receiving vials in the shipment include “those counties that had distributed their previous allotment and expressed need for additional vaccines,” department spokesman Cort Ruddy said by email.

Suffolk health department spokeswoman Grace Kelly-McGovern said the county has about 6,000 doses on hand, and vaccinators have begun using a different injection method, known as fractionating, which yields as many as five doses per vial.

“The increase in cases has slowed significantly, as has the demand for Monkeypox vaccine,” she said by text message.

Last month, the state greenlit the use of fractionating, in which the vaccine needle goes into the skin. There are more immune cells within the skin than in the fatty layer underneath. The traditional method uses one vial per dose and goes under the skin. Injecting into the skin takes greater skill by the person administering the shot.

The state sets eligibility criteria for the vaccine, which was scarce until the new injection method was adopted.

Asked whether everyone now qualifies for the vaccine, Ruddy wrote in an email: “Understanding how it spreads, everyone who believes they were, are, or will be at risk of contracting it should get the vaccine.” 

Monkeypox cases statewide have waned since Aug. 25, after peaking in early July, according to the state Department of Health. Since the outbreak began in May, 50 Nassau residents have tested positive for monkeypox, as well as 64 from Suffolk, according to the department.

The state has not released county-by-county demographic data. But in New York City, whose residents are 3,356 of the state's 3,647 reported cases to date, about 6% of those infected reported being straight, and 0.1% of the total reported being women, according to the city health department.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.