NOTICE: All Tulsa Health Department locations are closed Thursday & Friday, Nov 23-24th in observance of Thanksgiving. We will reopen on Monday, November 27th to serve you.

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MPOX

Mpox is a rare illness that causes rash, chills, and fever. It is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox.​

What is mpox?

Mpox is a reportable disease in Oklahoma as an unusual condition. Mpox is a rash that can look like pimples or blisters on the face, the inside of the mouth, hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus. Mpox infections are typically not severe; symptoms are usually similar to the flu with a rash and resolve within 2-4 weeks.

The general population is currently at low risk for contracting mpox, but careful surveillance of the outbreak by the public health and health care sectors is needed. Medical providers should be on alert for any patient who is experiencing a rash that is characteristic of mpox and follow CDC guidelines on next steps, including infection control, testing and reporting.

According to CDC and other public health laboratory officials, current U.S. testing capacity is sufficient, but capacity is being added in commercial and public health laboratories in case it is needed.

The Department of Health and Human Services declared mpox a public health emergency in early August 2022. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it would not renew mpox, the virus formerly known as monkeypox, as a public health emergency after January 31, 2023, following a drop in cases.

WHO and CDC Rename Monkeypox Virus “Mpox”
On November 28, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended renaming the monkeypox virus “mpox,” a change intended to mitigate racist and stigmatizing language associated with the original name. The WHO will use both names simultaneously for one year while “monkeypox” is phased out. Following the WHO’s announcement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it and other federal agencies would also adopt mpox moving forward. The CDC is also encouraging all partners to adopt mpox as the new terminology, especially in public communications. The virus was named human monkeypox prior to the WHO’s best practices in naming diseases, which states that names should minimize any unnecessary negative impacts on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare, and avoid causing offense to any social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups.

HOW IS MPOX SPREAD?

Mpox spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person-to-person through:

  • Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs or body fluids
  • Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex
  • Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
  • Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta

Any person, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can acquire and spread mpox. Currently, a large proportion of the known mpox cases are among men who have sex with men.

Traveling to a country currently experiencing an outbreak could increase your risk of contracting mpox. If you are planning international travel, check that country’s infection rate on the WHO website. If necessary, consult your doctor about getting a mpox vaccination before traveling, or if you have been exposed. 

The spread of mpox is different than the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • There is a vaccine for mpox, and can be effective if given shortly after potential exposure. The vaccine supply is currently limited to individuals who have been identified as potentially having high risk contact to an individual with mpox.
  • Mpox can be treated with available antiviral medicines.
  • While COVID-19 passed easily from person to person, mpox does not spread as easily between people. Mpox transmission typically requires skin-to-skin contact, direct contact with body fluids or prolonged, close, face-to-face contact.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of mpox can include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches and backache
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Chills
  • Exhaustion

A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.

The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.

What to do if you have symptoms or have been exposed:

If you are concerned about having mpox symptoms or exposure, please contact the THD Epi-on-Call, 918-595-4399 or your healthcare provider for advice, testing and medical care. Recommendations for testing &/or vaccination will be provided based on the screening and assessment by THD epidemiologists. Self-isolate away from others to protect them from infection. Cover all possible blisters.

If you have been exposed, monitor yourself for symptoms for 21 days from exposure. If symptoms develop, self-isolate away from others and contact the THD Epi-on-Call or your healthcare provider for advice and testing. 

Schedule an Mpox Vaccine

The Tulsa Health Department is administering the Jynneos vaccine in accordance with the priority populations set by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The Jynneos vaccine is a two-dose series administered 28 days apart. Visit the Oklahoma State Department of Health for more information on statewide vaccination opportunities. 

Mpox Vaccine (JYNNEOS) Eligibility

The CDC has provided the following criteria for eligibility of the JYNNEOS vaccine. The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), and its partners, are following the provided criteria. Expanded Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP++) Vaccination after known or presumed exposure to mpox.

The mpox vaccine is currently open to the following eligibility groups:

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

  • Vaccination for anyone who feels they may be at risk for mpox.
  • Those at highest risk for exposure to mpox should consider JYNNEOS vaccination.

Individuals at higher risk include:

  • Anyone who identifies as a gay or bisexual man, man who has sex with men, or transgender person and has engaged in the following within the past 14 days or plans to engage in these activities in the near future:
    • Sex with two or more partners.
    • Sex at a commercial sex venue.
    • Sex in association with an event or venue.
    • Sex in a geographical area where mpox is circulating in the community at high levels.
  • Persons with an HIV diagnosis.
  • Any man who has sex with men and has had a syphilis diagnosis within the last 12 months.
  • Persons in a high-risk occupation, such as sex professionals or persons who exchange sex for drugs, money, housing or safety.
  • Persons who have had skin-to-skin contact with a person diagnosed with mpox.
  • Persons who have had sex or other skin-to-skin contact at an event/venue in which mpox cases have been linked.
  • Women who are currently having sexual contact with a person who identifies as gay, a bisexual man or a man who has sex with men.
  • Healthcare workers providing direct patient care to persons who may be infected with mpox:
    • Urgent care providers who provide direct patient care.
    • Emergency room providers who provide direct patient care.
    • Laboratory workers working with mpox specimens.
    • Healthcare workers diagnosing and/or treating patients with STIs.
  • Any person diagnosed with syphilis in the previous 12 months.
  • Any partner of an individual who has been diagnosed with syphilis in the previous 12 months.
  • Anyone who identifies as a gay or bisexual man, man who has sex with men, or transgender person who in the past six months has had:
    • A new diagnosis of one or more nationally reportable sexually transmitted infection (i.e., acute HIV, chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis).
    • More than one sexual partner.

Click below to schedule an appointment at the following Tulsa Health Department locations:

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Central Regional Health Center
315 S. Utica, Tulsa, OK 74104-2203
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Location_ JGHC Client Entrance
James O. Goodwin Health Center​
5051 S. 129th E. Ave., Tulsa, OK 74134
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THD Tulsa Health Department North Regional Center
North Regional Health & Wellness Center​
5635 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Tulsa, OK 74126
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Sand Springs Health Center​
306 E. Broadway, Sand Springs, OK 74063
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LOCATIONS

We have 10 locations across Tulsa County that offer a variety of services to help you and your family stay healthy.

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