Monkeypox vaccine unavailable in Lee County

DIXON — Lee County Health Department’s Cathy Ferguson-Allen announced Thursday that the approved monkeypox vaccine is not yet available, days after Gov. JB Pritzker declared the virus a public health emergency in the state.

The news release mirrored a similar announcement by the Whiteside County Health Department on Wednesday, which also does not have any vaccine.

The vaccine — JYNNEOS (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex) — is being sent to jurisdictions where outbreaks have been identified.

Ferguson-Allen listed precautions people can take, including avoiding skin-to-skin contact, knowing how to idenitfy the rash, scabs or bumps of an infected person and avoiding contact with cooking and eating utensils that infected persons have touched. Hand-washing techniques and alcohol-based santitizers are recommended.