PHX Reporter

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health has told the public that there is a “limited supply” of Monkeypox vaccine, and those who have been exposed will be prioritized.

According to a release on Maricopa.gov, four additional cases of Monkeypox have been identified. As a result, “existing vaccine supply can be used for post-exposure protection and pre-exposure protection for a limited number of public health and laboratory workers who are participating in the Monkeypox outbreak response,” the release stated.

“At this time, we have limited quantities of vaccine, which we are prioritizing for people who we know, or suspect have been exposed and are within the post-exposure time frame where that protection can still be effective,” Marcy Flanagan, executive director of the health department, said in the release. “We are also working with our state and federal partners to secure additional doses so that we are prepared to move into a phase of providing pre-exposure protection to those who are at higher risk.”

With the current supply limitations, MCDPH is prioritizing administering vaccines to those who are identified as contacts of known Monkeypox cases, Flanagan added.

“As soon as we have enough vaccine, we will be holding clinics for those at highest risk of being exposed,” she said.

Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director for disease control at MCDPH, stressed that the outbreak should not be cause for concern for the public, as the disease is not a new one and there is already a vaccine in place.

“Monkeypox is still not common, and it spreads primarily through significant skin-to-skin or intimate contact,” she said.

Dr. Nick Staab, medical epidemiologist for MCDPH, said what the department has is enough – for now.

"So far with five cases, we've had enough. As we discover more cases and do more contact tracing, I don't know how long that will be true," Staab said, in a story by AZ Central. "Ideally, with more vaccine supply, we'll be able to give this to individuals who are at high risk but who have not necessarily been in contact with a case. That's often referred to as pre-exposure prophylaxis."

Testing options are already available, and commercial testing is becoming available nationwide, the health department release stated.

"Given the limited amount of doses that we have, we are working with post-exposure as the primary approach that's needed statewide," Carla Berg, told AZ Central. "This would be post-exposure for individuals who are identified as contacts, but also what's referred to as expanded post-exposure, and so that could include individuals with risk factors that would make them more likely to have been exposed to Monkeypox."