Who should get vaccinated?

There are no treatments specifically for MPV infections. However, MPV and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, which means that antiviral drugs and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox can be used to prevent and treat MPV infections.

The vaccine is available through the Grand Traverse County Health Department. The CDC recommends the vaccine be given within four days from the date of exposure for the best chance of preventing the onset of the disease. If given between four and 14 days after the date of exposure, vaccination may reduce the symptoms of the disease but may not prevent the disease.

Those currently eligible for the vaccine include:

• Anyone with a close/household contact with someone who has been exposed to MPV or is at higher risk due to their activities.
• Any sex partner, household contact, or other with very close contact to a person with MPV in the past 14 days.
• Anyone who plans to, or has within the last 14 days, had multiple anonymous sex partners.
• Anyone who plans to, or has within the last 14 days, had close contact with others at a high-risk event or high-risk venue*.
• Anyone taking HIV PreP or living with HIV.
• Anyone who trades sex for money or drugs.
• Any man who has sex with men and has had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the last year.
• Anyone who has a partner that engages in higher-risk sexual activities, like having multiple anonymous sex partners.
• Laboratory workers who perform testing for MPV (not collecting or packaging specimens).
• Anyone who lives or works in a crowded setting that could be at risk for a MPV outbreak, based on the local MPV activity.

*A high-risk event or venue might be one where there is minimal clothing and direct, personal, often skin-to-skin contact or where intimate, often anonymous sexual contact occurs with multiple partners.