Colorado expands who can get monkeypox vaccine based on sexual risk factors

Colorado is removing the two-week time limit for determining someone’s odds of encountering monkeypox, meaning people who have a less recent history of potentially risky contacts can now get vaccinated against it.

Initially, the vaccine was only available for men who knew they had been exposed to the virus or who had multiple male sex partners or an anonymous partner in the previous two weeks. Now, people of any gender can get the shot if they:

• Have multiple or anonymous partners
• Had close contact with people in a venue where group sex may happen
• Were diagnosed with gonorrhea or syphilis in the last six months
• Have HIV
• Are eligible for medication to prevent HIV infection
• Have sex in exchange for money or some other form of compensation
• Were in close contact with someone who has monkeypox

“We closely monitor vaccine supply and demand in Colorado and adjust our vaccination criteria as appropriate in this evolving response,” state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said in a news release. “This eligibility expansion allows Coloradans to proactively protect themselves and their communities by getting vaccinated before potential exposures, rather than only after a known exposure.”