Mpox (monkeypox)
The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment is now accepting appointment requests for mpox vaccinations. Those who are eligible and interested in scheduling an appointment through Larimer County may complete the LCDHE Mpox Vaccine Interest and Eligibility Form. Eligible individuals who submit the form will be contacted by LCDHE once appointments become available. For additional questions or concerns, please contact our Joint Information Center at 970-498-5500 M-F from 9:00-4:30.
Mpox is a rare virus, but it can be serious for some people who get sick. Currently, the risk to the general public is low. Mpox can spread from person to person when someone who has mpox has close contact with someone else. Close contact can mean physical contact with the sores, bumps, or lesions of someone who has mpox. Close contact includes sex. Mpox can also spread through touching the bed linens or clothing of someone who has mpox. Mpox can also live on other surfaces for some time. Brief interactions without physical contact are unlikely to result in getting the virus.
Mpox has recently been spreading in parts of the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It is endemic in central and west Africa. Recent data suggest people who have recently traveled to a country where mpox has been reported or men who have sex with other men are at heightened risk.
The type of mpox spreading in the United States is rarely deadly and has a fatality rate of less than 1%. In fact, in most cases, mpox will resolve on its own.
More Information About Mpox
Mpox can spread in different ways. It can spread from person to person when someone who has mpox has close contact with someone else. Close contact can mean physical contact with a sick person’s sores, bumps or lesions or through prolonged, face-to-face interactions with someone who is sick. Close contact includes sexual contact. Mpox can also spread through touching the bed linens or clothing of someone who is sick. Recent cases in the United States have been infected through person-to-person contact. Brief interactions without physical contact are unlikely to result in getting the virus.
It’s also possible for people to get mpox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal. However, this has not happened with recent cases in the United States.
For some people, mpox can feel like the flu at first. Early symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion. Most people get a rash or skin bumps one to three days after they first start feeling sick. This rash usually starts on the face and then spreads to the arms and legs. Sometimes, the rash may start in the genital area. Some people don’t feel any symptoms before they get a rash. Mpox can look like syphilis, herpes, blisters, or even acne.
Most people recover from monkeypox within two to four weeks.
Public health experts recommend mpox testing for people who have a new rash, lesions, or sores with pus and could have had close contact with someone who was infected. The test for mpox involves swabbing a skin lesion. Providers send the swab into a lab for testing to detect viruses in the orthopoxvirus genus.
If you have symptoms of mpox, contact your healthcare provider for testing, or call the Health Department at 970-498-5500 for assistance.
Mpox vaccine supply is limited in Colorado and Larimer County at this time. If you are aged 18 years or older and meet vaccine eligibility criteria, you may be recommended to receive a fully FDA-approved vaccine called Jynneos. Clinical studies suggest the Jynneos vaccine is at least 85% effective in preventing mpox.
Eligible Coloradans include:
- Anyone (any sexual orientation or gender identity) who has had close physical contact with someone who has mpox in the last 14 days.
- Anyone (any sexual orientation or gender identity) who:
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Has multiple or anonymous sexual partners, or
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Has close physical contact with other people in a venue where anonymous or group sex may occur, or
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Was diagnosed with gonorrhea or syphilis in the past six months, or
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Is living with HIV, or
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Already uses or is eligible for HIV PrEP (medication to prevent HIV, e.g. Truvada or Descovy or Apretude), or
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Engages in commercial and/or transactional sex (e.g. sex in exchange for money, shelter, food, and other goods or needs).
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- Anyone (any sexual orientation or gender identity) identified by public health as a known high-risk contact of someone who has mpox.
- Anyone whose sexual partner identifies with any of the above scenarios.
Those interested in receiving the vaccine with Larimer County can use the appointment request form to self-attest to their eligibility for the vaccine and request an appointment.
- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is also offering mobile vaccination clinics at select locations locally and throughout the state. View the schedule and register for an appointment here.
- NOTE: Clinics offering Mpox vaccines will have "Mpox" or "monkeypox" in the event title. A full list of available vaccines per clinic can be found by selecting "Clinic Details".
Individuals who do not currently qualify for the mpox vaccine may sign up to receive information about mpox eligibility and updates by completing this form: Mpox Vaccine Information Request Form.
For more information, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's monkeypox webpages.
