All Fenway Health locations and programs will be closing at 5 PM on 11/27 for Thanksgiving. We will reopen for Saturday services on 11/30 and return to normal operations on 12/2.

Mpox Information

Mpox (also known as monkeypox), a rare pox virus typically carried by rodents in Central and Western Africa, made international headlines in 2022 because of unusual outbreaks in Europe, North America, Israel, and Australia.

Media coverage of that outbreak tied the majority of cases to gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Understandably, this reporting caused concern among the LGBTQIA+ community, both globally and here in Boston.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a 2024 mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern following the first confirmed case of Clade I mpox outside Africa, this time in Sweden. This strain, endemic to Central Africa, is more severe and poses a higher risk of death compared to the Clade II strain from the 2022 outbreak.

At this moment, the CDC does not recommend boosting for those who have received two doses of the Jynneos vaccine mpox Vaccine, including sexually active individuals at risk and healthcare personnel. Dr. Ken Mayer, Co-Chair and Medical Research Director of The Fenway Institute (TFI), and Dr. Ami Multani, Director of Infectious Diseases at Fenway Health, have consulted with experts at Mass. General Hospital and the CDC. They emphasize that different recommendations for research laboratorians are due to their unique exposure risks.

There’s no evidence that vaccine protection is waning, and data suggests it may last beyond five years. It remains crucial to ensure non-vaccinated at-risk patients receive the two-dose Jynneos series. Mpox primarily spreads through close, skin-to-skin contact, often during intimate activities. Symptoms appear 3-17 days post-exposure, and if a rash is present, one lesion should be swabbed for testing. If MPox is confirmed, supportive care is advised, with TPOXX treatment available under specific criteria.

See below for more information, including how to schedule an mpox vaccine appointment at Fenway Health. You can also keep up to date on new developments on the CDC’s mpox page.

Updated November 5, 2024

A note about language: We now use mpox to refer to this rare pox virus. Monkeypox was a term more commonly used in the past and may still appear on some older materials.

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Mpox Vaccinations at Fenway Health

Mpox Vaccine at 1340 Boylston Street by Appointments Only

We are now offering mpox vaccine by appointment only, for Fenway Health patients and the public, at our 1340 Boylston Street location.

Appointments are available daily and can be made through our Mpox line at 617.927.6000.
If you are not a patient, then we will register you as one for purposes of the vaccine clinic.
Vaccinations will be available to individuals who live or work in Massachusetts and meet the CDC’s current eligibility criteria, which have recently expanded to include individuals at potential risk for mpox in addition to those with possible recent exposure to an individual with mpox.
If you are eligible for vaccination, then you will be vaccinated as soon as possible based on the current clinic schedule.
We will schedule your second dose on your way out.

Mpox Vaccination FAQs

Mpox is a rare disease that can make you sick, including a rash, which may look like pimples or blisters, often with an earlier flu-like illness. Mpox can spread to anyone through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact. Anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has mpox is at risk, but data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases. New cases have steadily declined since August 2022 likely due to a combination of vaccination, infection induced immunity, and changes in sexual behavior however, there are concerns that there is potential for a new mpox outbreak this summer.

When properly administered before or soon after exposure, vaccines can help protect against mpox illness. The JYNNEOS vaccine is effective at reducing the risk of mpox disease, with two doses providing the best protection, regardless of how the vaccine was administered. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) is distributing mpox vaccines here in the Commonwealth and Fenway Health is providing JYNNEOS Vaccine doses. This is a critical step in safeguarding our patients, clients, and the communities we serve. Along with other mpox vaccine sites in the Commonwealth, we are following CDC and MDPH guidance.

Vaccinations will be available to individuals who live or work in Massachusetts and meet the CDC’s current eligibility criteria:

Persons eligible for post-exposure vaccination (PEP) includes:
- Known contacts identified by public health via case investigation, contact tracing, and risk exposure assessments (this may include sexual partners, household contacts, and healthcare workers); as well as
- Presumed contacts who meet the following criteria:
  - Know that a sexual partner in the past 14 days was diagnosed with mpox
  - Had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days in a jurisdiction with known mpox
In addition, CDC now allows for pre-exposure vaccination (PrEP) of persons at risk for mpox which includes:
- Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, transgender, gender non-conforming, or nonbinary people who
  - Have had a diagnosis of or have sought testing for one or more sexually transmitted diseases (i.e., chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis) in the past year
  - Are living with HIV infection
  - Are on or are eligible to be on HIV PrEP
  - Have recently had more than one sex partner
- People who:
  - Have had sex at a private or commercial sex venue (e.g., sex party, bathhouse)
  - Have had sex in association with a large public event (e.g., rave, circuit party) in a geographic area where mpox transmission is occurring
- Sexual partners of people with the above risks
- People who anticipate experiencing the above risks

When you request a vaccine, you will not be asked which of these criteria applies to you. It is sufficient to say that you consider yourself to be at risk for mpox.

While many of the identified cases are within networks of self-identified gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, and transgender individuals who have sex with men, people of any sexual orientation or gender identity can become infected and spread mpox.

If you think you might be eligible for a vaccine and would like to receive one from Fenway Health, appointments can be made by calling 617.927.6000.

My first dose was given subcutaneously. Is it okay to get an intradermal vaccine as the second dose?

Yes! For people 18 years or older, they may receive intradermal doses after subcutaneous doses. If your 18^th birthday falls between your first and second dose of JYNNEOS, you can still get the second dose as intradermal.

I would like to get the mpox vaccine, but I am under 18.

That is okay! Since August 9, 2022 JYNNEOS has been authorized for people under 18.

Does the administration route impact the timeline for a second injection?

No! The current recommendation is to have the second dose no sooner than 28 days after the first. This is the same regardless of the administration route (eg: intradermal or subcutaneous)

You can learn more and find information on other DPH mpox vaccine sites in Massachusetts at mass.gov/monkeypox.

Click here for answers to other frequently asked questions about mpox.

Who is eligible for the Jynneos vaccine?

The CDC and MDPH have created criteria for who is currently eligible for the Jynneos vaccine. Read the updated criteria here.

If I am eligible for Jynneos, how do I schedule a vaccine appointment?

To receive Jynneos at Fenway Health, please call 617.927.6060 M-F between 9 AM-5 PM.

To receive Jynneos at any other location within Massachusetts, please see the MDPH list of clinics offering Jynneos by appointment.

How is Jynneos administered?

Per CDC guidance, the vaccine may be given in the following ways:

If you are 18 years or older, you may be given the vaccine into the skin layers of your forearm (intradermally, like a tuberculosis skin test).
If you are younger than 18 years or have a history of developing keloid scars, you may be given the vaccine in your upper arm intramuscularly, like other vaccines you may have received (like the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) shot).

When am I protected against mpox after receiving Jynneos?

You are considered vaccinated against mpox 14 days after you receive your second vaccine dose. The CDC notes “While we expect the vaccines currently being used to help protect against mpox will be effective, we have not previously had an outbreak of mpox like the current outbreak. We will know more in the coming months about how effective the JYNNEOS vaccine is in the 2022 mpox outbreak. We do not know how long protection might last, or if protection might decrease over time”.

Do I need to be a Fenway health patient to receive Jynneos at Fenway Health?

No, anyone who meets eligibility criteria can be vaccinated with Jynneos at Fenway Health.

Can I get my second Jynneos vaccine at Fenway Health if I received my first dose of Jynneos at a different vaccine location?

Yes, you can receive your second dose of Jynneos at Fenway Health regardless of where you received your first dose of Jynneos.

When can I receive my flu vaccine or COVID bivalent booster vaccine after receiving Jynneos?

Per the CDC, In most cases, you can get a JYNNEOS vaccine at the same time you get other vaccinations, except possibly COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines may be delayed by 4 weeks if the JYNNEOS vaccine is given first, particularly in young adult men.
If you are getting Jynneos after known exposure to mpox, Jynneos vaccination should not be delayed because of recent receipt of a Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine; no minimum interval between COVID-19 vaccination with these vaccines and orthopoxvirus vaccination is necessary.

Should I still get Jynneos if I have been diagnosed with mpox?

At this time it is believed that the protection your immune system develops after recovering from mpox is significant and that the Jynneos vaccines would offer little to no additional benefit and thus Jynneos is not currently recommended if you have been diagnosed with mpox during the 2022 outbreak.

When can I receive my flu vaccine or COVID bivalent booster vaccine after receiving Jynneos?

Yes, however those who have received a smallpox vaccine in the past may only need 1 dose per the CDC.

Fact Sheets