Hello shelter, outreach, and Coalition to end Homelessness colleagues,

First – I will be starting to send these updates twice per month via our Dept. “Gov Delivery” system. If you’ve ever received an email from TPCHD you’ve seen a Gov Delivery email. They have a banner across the top and look more “official.” These emails are less likely to go to spam folders as a distribution group grows.

Thanks,
Jennie

MONKEYPOX (MPV):

***Eligibility for MPV vaccine was recently expanded to include those who are gay, bi, or MSM; AND unhoused or unstably housed. Please see attached slides for eligibility criteria AND (limited) vaccine opportunities. Please share this information with your guests and clients***

· As of today, we have 13 cases of MPV in Pierce County.

MPV spreads during close, physical contact with a person who has the virus. Anyone can get monkeypox but resources right now are focused on communities where we are seeing the most cases.
Unlike COVID 19, MPV IS NOT easily spread through the air. You have to have close personal contact or direct contact with objects (like linens) or surfaces that a person with the disease used.
If you suspect MPV the best course of action is to see a healthcare provider for assessment. Testing resources in Pierce County are not limited.
There is a vaccine strategy to protect folks from MPV, but demand for MPV vaccine is high and supply from CDC is limited.

***Resources to help you learn more about monkeypox***

· TPCHD blog, 8/11/22

· TPCHD Monkeypox page

· Monkeypox flyer for general population (also attached).

· How it Spreads (CDC)

· Monkeypox FAQs (CDC)

· Safer Sex, Social Gatherings, and Monkeypox (CDC)

· Preventing the Spread of Monkeypox in Congregate Settings (CDC)

· About the Monkeypox vaccine

COVID-19:

· We've seen a big reduction in hospitalizations in the past 7 days, which is great news.

· The state level dashboard is a nice way to view data: State Dashboard | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (tpchd.org)

· You can still get vaccinated or boosted if you're not up to date: https://www.tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture

· If you need test kits or have questions about testing you can email our testing team: epitesting@tpchd.org, or go to the testing page: https://www.tpchd.org/gettested

· I got a few questions earlier this week about how to report a positive test. Here is the DOH guidance on that: What to do if you test positive?

Jennie Schoeppe, MSPT, MPH

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Public Health Consultant

Communicable Disease Control

(253) 753-4887 c • jschoeppe@tpchd.org

COVID-19 is affecting our work.
Your health and our staff’s health are our top priorities. Many of our staff are responding to the outbreak and others are working remotely to serve your needs. You will likely experience slower-than-normal response times for requests not related to COVID-19.

Many of our services are available online.

For more information, please read our blog or visit tpchd.org.

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