On Friday, August 26, 2022, the county health department said it would give monkeypox vaccine at Rainbow Pride of West Virginia’s Big Gay Cookout. The picnic took place at Coonskin Park on Sunday, August 28, 2022, starting at noon. The vaccine was free.
Health officials said they wanted to offer the vaccine to the people in the community at the most risk. They said they were glad Rainbow Pride of West Virginia invited them to the event. A second dose was necessary four weeks after the first dose.
What health officials said about monkeypox
- Monkeypox was rare but could be serious. It spread through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.
- It was not a sexually transmitted disease, and it was usually not fatal.
- It did not spread through the air the way COVID-19 does, so the risk to the general public was low.
- Symptoms included fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, tiredness and a rash. The rash could look like pimples or blisters on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body, including the genitals or anus. The illness could last four to six weeks.
On August 18, 2022, federal health officials said they would set aside an extra 50,000 vaccine doses for places with upcoming gay pride events.
For background on the 2022 outbreak, see Monkeypox: What to Know. For the park, see Coonskin Park Clubhouse.
This information is from August 2022. The disease is now called mpox. This page is kept as a record and is not current advice. Check current guidance from the CDC or your doctor.