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Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced on Monday, July 11, that the county would open six pop-up clinics on Fire Island on Thursday, July 14.
Following the announcement, all slots were full, but officials say there will be more vaccines on the way.
Those who made an appointment will receive their shots at one of six pop-up clinics on Fire Island.
The county received an allotment of 750 monkeypox vaccine doses after three cases were confirmed last week.
“While Suffolk County has a handful of confirmed monkeypox cases, I want to reiterate that this is not cause for alarm or panic,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.
Bellone added that as vaccine production ramps up, the county will expand operations to ensure that anyone who wants to get vaccinated is able to.
Although anyone can get monkeypox, most of the cases in New York have been in gay men, according to health officials.
New York State eligibility requirements for the monkeypox vaccine include individuals
- Individuals with recent exposure to monkeypox within the past 14 days.
- Individuals who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, including men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application (“app”), or social events, such as a bar or party
- Those at high risk of recent exposure to monkeypox, including members of the gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming community and other communities of men who have sex with men and who have engaged in intimate or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days areas where monkeypox is spreading.
The Fire Island clinics will be held at the following locations:
Cherry Grove: Northwell Health Physician Partners at Cherry Grove, 153 Doctors Walk, Cherry Grove
- Thursday, July 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Friday, July 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday, July 17, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fire Island Pines/Sayville: Fire Island Pines Community House/ Whyte Hall, 577 Fire Island Blvd, Sayville
- Friday, July 15, 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, July 16, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nassau County officials announced the first case of the virus on Friday, July 8, and plan to offer 350 to 400 vaccine doses at a future date.
For more information and to check for future appointments in Suffolk County, visit SuffolkCountyNY.gov/monkeypox.
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