Center At Nyack Hospital Offers Monkeypox Vaccinations, Tests

NYACK, NY — As cases of monkeypox grow in the New York metropolitan area, Montefiore Nyack Hospital has partnered with the Rockland County Department of Health. The Jacobs Family Pride Wellness Center at the hospital is providing vaccinations and is ready to test and treat patients with the disease, hospital officials said Monday.

New York declared a monkeypox emergency last week. The virus represents an "imminent threat to public health," said State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett.

Monkeypox is a rare, viral infection that does not usually cause serious illness. However, it can result in hospitalization or death. It previously was rarely seen outside rural African areas, but in recent months it has spread across the world.

As of July 29, there were 5,189 confirmed cases of monkeypox/orthopoxvirus in the USA, found in all but three states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most affected were New York, with 1,345 cases and California, with 799 cases. In the Hudson Valley, the New York Health Department reported cases in four counties:

• Dutchess: 3
• Orange: 3
• Rockland: 4
• Westchester: 36

The monkeypox's rapid global spread has many local officials, as well as their worldwide counterparts, concerned the virus soon could be "uncontainable." In late July, World Health Organization officials declared the monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries a global emergency.

Most cases have been among men who have sex with men, although health officials stress that anyone can contract the virus.

His patients have many questions about the disease, said Barry S. Zingman, M.D., attending physician at the Jacobs Family Pride Wellness Center at Nyack Hospital and medical director of the AIDS Center at Montefiore Medical Center. The center offers LGBTQ+-dedicated services to the lower Hudson Valley and Bergen County in New Jersey.

In a blog post, he addresses how it spreads, who is at risk, who should get the vaccine, and what happens when a person has monkeypox.

For a vaccine appointment or more information, call 845-348-7284. Appointments are available on Monday and Friday afternoons.

Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the federal government had secured an additional 110,000 vaccine doses, resulting in a total of 170,000 doses to New Yorkers to date.

New York State's Executive Order specifically extends the pool of eligible individuals who can administer monkeypox vaccines, including EMS personnel, pharmacists and midwives; allows physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue nonpatient-specific standing orders for vaccines; and requires providers to send vaccine data to the New York State Department of Health.