Leo Baudhuin

New York City’s monkeypox outbreak seems to finally be dying down, but there’s one thing we’ve learned in the past couple years of living through a pandemic: It’s good to be prepared.

Monkeypox is a type of smallpox virus that is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact. The illness can also be transmitted via contact with fabric that has touched monkeypox sores. Common symptoms include a rash, fever and sore throat.

Although it is not usually deadly, the virus can last from two to four weeks and be generally unpleasant, according to Deschutes County Health Services. It can take up to three weeks for monkeypox symptoms to appear after exposure.

Although there are no confirmed or suspected cases in Deschutes County, the region’s health services are offering first dose vaccine shots for people in eligible groups. I got mine Aug. 17.

Deschutes County offers the first dose of the FDA-approved JYNNEOS vaccine to those 18 or older who have a known or likely monkeypox exposure, have traveled to areas where monkeypox cases are more likely to be found or have had skin-to-skin contact with men who have sex with men.

Still, Deschutes County Health Services acknowledges, monkeypox is not limited to one specific community. Although a majority of cases in this country have been among queer men, “there is nothing specific about men who have sex with men that puts someone at higher risk for getting hMPXV,” Deschutes County wrote on its monkeypox page. “This happens to be the first socially-connected group that has been affected with this particular outbreak.”

Oregon currently has more than 100 confirmed and presumptive cases, mostly among adult men. It’s worth noting that testing and vaccination efforts have been primarily targeted toward queer men, so it is possible that a larger percentage of queer men who have been exposed to the virus are getting diagnosed than the rest of the United States population.

Due to limited supply, the county is currently only offering the first JYNNEOS dose. You can receive the second dose four weeks after you get your first, and hopefully more supply will be available by then. The health official who administered my vaccine told me that exact efficacy numbers are not available at this time, because monkeypox isn’t widespread enough to be able to scientifically analyze it.

Fortunately, if you fall into a high risk category, it’s pretty easy to get vaccinated. It’s also relatively anonymous. Although I’m now in the state of Oregon’s vaccination records, I could’ve gotten my shot without anyone around me knowing.

I called Deschutes County Health Services at 541-322-7155 to set up an appointment one day in advance.

The woman picked up, asked me a couple health questions — including related to sexual history, as she was required to do — and helped me find a time. She understood the importance of privacy, she said, so she gave me her cell and told me to text her when I entered the lobby of the health services building instead of going to the front counter.

The shot itself was pretty easy, too.

On the day of my appointment, I showed up to the Deschutes County Health Services building near St. Charles in Bend. I checked in with the person I’d called the day before and she came out to the lobby to find me.

She led me through the waiting room and into the first patient room on the left. We went over some basic information about the vaccine and she gave me the opportunity to ask questions.

We talked a little bit about side effects. Unlike COVID-19 vaccines, JYNNEOS doesn’t normally wipe people out the day after. The most common side effects are soreness in your arm and redness, according to a New York City Health FAQ. Other side effects include fatigue, headaches and muscle pain.

My arm was sore to the touch for about a week after I got my shot, and the area around the injection site was pink for a couple days.

At the time of my appointment, about 15 people had come in to get their vaccine in Deschutes County, though the provider who gave me mine said she anticipated that those numbers would increase when there is a first local case. Hopefully the region will have more of a vaccine supply by then, she said.

After that, she gave me a form to fill out with some basic information about myself. The vaccine is free, so I was not asked to provide insurance information.

Then we got to the shot; a little prick in my non-dominant arm, followed by 15 minutes of waiting to ensure that I wouldn’t suffer from serious side effects. And I was free to go.