Northwell Health Department of Medicine: Learn more about Mpox and the Mpox Vaccine

People with mpox often get a rash that may be located on hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, including penis, testicles, labia, and vagina, and anus. The incubation period is 3-17 days. During this time, a person does not have symptoms and may feel fine. Mpox symptoms usually start within 3 weeks of exposure to the virus. If someone has flu-like symptoms, they will usually develop a rash 1-4 days later.A person with mpox can spread it to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. As of February 2023, new data show that some people can spread mpox to others from one to four days before their symptoms appear. It’s not clear how many people this has affected during the current outbreak.

There is currently no evidence showing that people who never develop symptoms have spread the virus to someone else. CDC will continue to monitor the latest information about how mpox spreads. Since mpox emerged as a worldwide pandemic last Spring/Summer there have been 30,450 cases and 42 deaths in the United States, with the highest number in New York. At this time, data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up the majority of cases in the current mpox outbreak.However, anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who has been in close, personal contact with someone who has mpox is at risk. Take steps to prevent getting mpox. If you have any symptoms of mpox, talk to a healthcare provider. The threat of mpox returning to communities in New York and beyond remains a very real possibility.

While current data show mpox cases may have plateaued, the CDC’s latest risk assessment of mpox resurgence warns that without proper vaccination, the risk of a resurgent mpox outbreak is 35 percent in most jurisdictions in the United States. The CDC warns that community outbreaks could be as large as, or larger than, the 2022 outbreak. Especially in regions where immunity remains relatively low. This further underscores the importance of vaccination and the protective public health precautions everyone should take. Mpox symptoms are rarely fatal, but these symptoms can be extremely painful and may cause permanent scarring resulting from the rash. If an individual contracts mpox, there are antiviral medications available to treat the symptoms. The City and State Departments of Health are urging everyone who is eligible or may be at risk of getting mpox to get the JYNNEOS vaccine now, in preparation for summer travel as well as Pride events and other large gatherings. 

Additionally, those who suspect they may have been exposed to mpox or have been identified as a contact of a suspected or confirmed case of mpox should work directly with their local health department or other health care provider to facilitate vaccination and other appropriate care. Funding in the amount of $2.8 million was recently distributed to providers by the State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute to help support the delivery of community-based services designed to build knowledge and awareness of mpox in affected communities and build access to mpox services, including testing, treatment, and vaccination to increase detection of mpox cases and curtail transmission. The two-dose vaccine series is administered subcutaneously, with each dose given 4 weeks apart. Individuals are not considered fully vaccinated (offering maximum protection) until two weeks after their second dose. However, people should get the second dose no matter how much time has passed since their first dose. Data received by the state Department of Health show that during the 2022 outbreak, 17,190 New Yorkers outside NYC received their first dose of the series, but only 65%received their second dose, resulting in more than 6,000 individuals with less than maximum protection. In New York City – between May 19 and December 31, 2022 — 102,183 first doses were administered but only 52,374 second doses. Learn more about mpox at Mpox (ny.gov) and at Mpox (Monkeypox) – NYC Health.