September 30, 2022
Media Contact: Larry Hill, larry.hill@vdh.virginia.gov
Regional Community Vaccination Center in Norfolk Open Saturday for COVID-19 Vaccinations
Monkeypox Vaccinations Moving to One Day a Week to Wednesdays
NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) continues this week the Community Vaccination Center (CVC) at the Military Circle Mall, 880 N. Military Highway in Norfolk. The site will be open on Saturday providing COVID-19 vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Last week the regional vaccination site provided more than three hundred COVID-19 vaccinations in the four-hour period.
All COVID-19 vaccines, including the new bivalent booster vaccines, will be offered. There is no registration. Walk-ins only.Virginians who are unvaccinated remain at high risk of severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19. Vaccinations will be for those aged 6 months and older.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the Virginia Department of Health website at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/.
Monkeypox vaccinations during October, will only be offered one day a week on Wednesdays. The hours will be from 3-6 p.m.
You can register for a monkeypox vaccination by visiting: www.vase.virginia.gov and clicking on monkeypox, then enter zip code 23502 for the Military Circle Mall location. Or you may make a Monkeypox vaccination appointment by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682) and stating you would like to make an appointment for a Military Circle Mall clinic.
Monkeypox is a rare contagious rash illness caused by the monkeypox virus. The virus is in the same family of viruses as the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox causes milder illness than smallpox, but some symptoms can be severe. The monkeypox virus can spread from animals to people and from person to person.
The risk to the community is considered low at this time. Anyone can get and spread monkeypox; however, it is spread by close contact with an infected person. The highest risk activity at present is sex with multiple or anonymous partners. Avoiding these activities greatly reduces your risk of catching or spreading monkeypox.
Monkeypox can spread from person to person through:
- Sexual or intimate contact (including oral, anal, and vaginal sex)
- Hugging, kissing, cuddling, and massage
- Sharing a bed, sharing a towel, or sharing clothes that have not been washed
In Virginia, a two-dose series of a monkeypox vaccine (JYNNEOS) is recommended for individuals who identify with any of the following groups:
As of September 26, the eligibility requirements for Expanded PEP will be as follows:
- All people, of any sexual orientation or gender, who have had anonymous or multiple (more than 1) sexual partners in the last 2 weeks; or
- Sex workers, of any sexual orientation or gender; or
- Staff of any sexual orientation or gender, at establishments or events where sexual activity, occurs; or
- People of any sexual orientation of gender who:
- Are living with HIV/AIDS
- Has been diagnosed with any sexually transmitted infection in the past three months
- Staff (of any sexual orientation or gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (such as bathhouses, sex clubs)
For more information about monkeypox, visit the VDH website at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/monkeypox/ or the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html.
To find a COVID-19 or monkeypox vaccine event near you, contact or check the website of your local health department; to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a pharmacy or other location, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1). Assistance is available in English, Spanish, and more than 100 other languages.
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