TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Registration for vaccinations against the monkeypox (mpox) virus will open at 2 p.m. Monday afternoon (April 10) via a dedicated online registration platform that will offer 30,000 vaccination appointments across 50 hospitals.
CNA reports that each county and city on the main island of Taiwan will have at least one hospital providing vaccinations, with Taipei offering the most places, followed by Taichung, Kaohsiung, and New Taipei. With the exception of one hospital on Penghu, local health authorities have reportedly assessed that outlying islands do not need vaccination services at this time.
After successful registration, users will be sent a confirmation notification within one hour, followed by information about availability at their local health care center within two weeks. The system will be open Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., excluding public holidays.
The mpox vaccination is free for those with a National Health Insurance card excluding registration fees. According to the Taiwan Center for Disease Control, Taiwan will be using the U.S. manufactured JYNNEOS vaccine.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), those who have close contact (including sexual contact) with someone who is infected with mpox are most at risk of catching the virus, and that limiting close contact with infected persons provides the greatest protection. The WHO also recommends frequent hand washing and disinfection of surfaces and environments where infected individuals may have been present.
Experts told Reuters that wearing a mask as your only protection against mpox “isn’t particularly rational” as the virus is not airborne, but masks are recommended for close contact with confirmed cases, as droplet transmission is one of the most common ways the virus is transmitted. Experts have also debunked the myth that monkeypox is purely a sexually transmitted infection or “gay disease,” only spread between men who have sex with men.
During the initial outbreak, higher numbers of LGBTQ people were getting infected, though the WHO said this is likely due to this group’s increased engagement with healthcare services, and therefore does not mean there is any increased likelihood of a member of this community contracting the virus. “Anyone who has close physical contact of any kind with someone who has monkeypox is at risk, regardless of who they are, what they do, who they have sex with or any other factor,” the WHO said.