AUSTIN, Texas — After the World Health Organization declared mpox a global emergency, Austin Public Health (APH) is trying to get ahead of any potential local outbreak.
APH hosted a free mpox vaccine clinic Saturday at Montopolis Recreation and Community Center in southeast Austin.
“We know it’s spreading elsewhere, so we want to be prepared here,” said Eleanor Allain, the Emergency Plans Officer at APH.
Allain said APH had already surpassed its goal of administering 30 vaccines one hour into the three-hour event.
She also said APH has seen a few cases of mpox locally, with numbers slowly trending upwards.
“For folks who are at high risk and the rest of the population, just looking out for any skin rashes, skin legions,” Allain said. “If you have any concerns, you should reach out to your primary care provider.”
She added, “Anyone who has been exposed to mpox in the last 14 days or has multiple sexual partners is eligible to get the vaccine."
Anyone interested in getting the vaccine can visit austintexas.gov/mpox for additional information.
APH is also looking for volunteers for its Medical Reserve Corp unit, which helped run Saturday’s pop-up clinic. Anyone interested can find a link to more information at austintexas.gov/department/health.