A registered nurse prepares a dose of a Monkeypox vaccine at the Salt Lake County Health Department in July in Salt Lake City. Associated Press file photo

Rick Bowmer

Butler Memorial Hospital will distribute the vaccine for monkeypox at a clinic Tuesday, Aug. 30, but Butler Health System was allocated only a limited amount of the Jynneos smallpox/monkeypox vaccine, so registration is required.

According to a Thursday news release from BHS, the vaccine is a two-dose series, given four weeks apart, and individuals must meet certain criteria as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to be eligible.

Monkeypox can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed, so the illness typically lasts two to four weeks, according to the state department of health’s website.

Dr. John Love, BHS’ medical director of infectious disease, said last week that the system has diagnosed one person in Butler County with monkeypox.

Monkeypox is most likely to spread through skin-to-skin contact, and especially lesion-to-lesion exposure. However, Love said, there have been cases where it spread through contact with an infected object, like a towel.

Love also said most people won’t be recommended for a vaccine, or even notice testing sites springing up around the region like they did with COVID-19.

To be eligible for the upcoming vaccine clinic, an individual must have been in close contact with high-risk or intermediate-risk exposure to a known monkeypox case, had sexual contact with someone with symptoms in the past 14 days, or had sex with one or two “anonymous partners.”

To register for the clinic, visit www.butlerhealthsystem.org/monkeypox.