Largo, MD – Through the State of Maryland’s online immunizations registration system PrepMod, the Prince George’s County Health Department is accepting pre-registrations from County residents to be vaccinated against monkeypox. Residents can pre-register by visiting the Health Department’s dedicated monkeypox webpage, health.mypgc.us/monkeypox.

As appointments become available, individuals who have pre-registered will receive email and text invitations to schedule their appointments. When filling out the pre-registration form, please be sure your email address and mobile phone number are accurate so you will receive appointment invitations.  

All information collected through the pre-registration system is confidential and secure and used only by the Prince George’s County Health Department and the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to determine vaccine eligibility and to schedule vaccine appointments. 

Anyone may pre-register for a vaccine appointment, but you may not receive an appointment unless you meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• individuals who have been identified as close contacts to laboratory-confirmed monkeypox cases through public health contact tracing investigations
• presumed contacts that know their sex partners were diagnosed in the past 14 days or have had multiple sex partners in the past 14 days in a jurisdiction with known monkeypox cases

• healthcare workers who may have been exposed to a known case and Laboratory Response Network or other laboratory staff working directly with monkeypox testing.

“Right now, the Health Department is vaccinating residents with the highest risk of contracting monkeypox to avoid further community spread. If you notice a rash or sores anywhere on your body that look like monkeypox, I highly recommend you speak with a health care provider about getting evaluated and tested for monkeypox, even if you don’t think you had contact with someone who has monkeypox,” said Prince George’s County Health Officer Dr. Ernest Carter. “It’s also important to avoid all sexual activity with others or be around other people if you have monkeypox symptoms or if you have been diagnosed with monkeypox. It typically takes anywhere from two to four weeks for the sores to scab over, fall off, and develop a new layer of skin, thus ending your infectious period. If you need to go out, cover your rash, wear a well-fitting face mask, and avoid public transportation.” 

Monkeypox is spread through prolonged close or skin-to-skin contact with someone who has monkeypox or showing monkeypox symptoms. Spread can happen from sustained touching or brushing up against someone’s monkeypox rash or sores, most often through sexual activity, or from sharing saliva through kissing or other intimate/sexual contact with someone who has monkeypox or is showing symptoms of monkeypox. 

For more information and guidance about monkeypox symptoms, transmission, prevention, and vaccination, please visit the County Health Department’s monkeypox webpage here: health.mypgc.us/monkeypox, MDH’s webpage here: health.maryland.gov/monkeypox, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage here: cdc.gov/monkeypox. 

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