Saratoga County Health Department was the first local health agency to receive a federal shipment of monkeypox vaccines due to its status as a travel destination. Since the majority of infections are concentrated downstate, the DOH has targeted much of its limited vaccine supply toward New York City. People eligible for the vaccine include adult gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men and people who have had multiple sex partners in the last 14 days. Anyone can get monkeypox, but the current outbreak has disproportionately affected men who have sex with men. It can spread from infected small animals and people through saliva, physical contact, shared towels or contaminated bedding. Monkeypox, endemic in West and Central Africa, produces a painful rash and in some people, flu-like symptoms. "At one urgent care facility I contacted, patients without insurance are charged $225 for a monkeypox test."Ī spokesperson for the governor's office said Hochul has "aggressively pushed to expand the availability of monkeypox testing, vaccines and other critical resources and we will review the Assembly Member's letter." "People who develop symptoms already must work through a disorganized system that often requires multiple phone calls to doctors, specialists or health care facilities," she wrote. Kathy Hochul Friday asking for the state to make monkeypox testing free for the uninsured. "However, people seeking testing for monkeypox must consult with their health care provider first they cannot separately go to a commercial lab, submit a specimen, and request testing."Īnother barrier to getting tested is the prohibitive cost for the uninsured, according to Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, who penned a letter to Gov. "They can order the test just as they normally would order other tests," county spokeswoman Christine Rush said. Saratoga County officials said that no special materials are needed and that practitioners can perform a simple swab test on eligible patients. See More CollapseĪlbany County Department of Health "is working to ensure more widespread availability of test kits in area healthcare providers’ offices, and encourages providers to order commercially available test kits," a county spokesperson said. There are currently no reported cases of monkeypox in Saratoga County. Make an appointment at the Saratoga County Department of Health Monkeypox Resource Center. Saratoga County Department of Health will hold a monkeypox vaccine clinic at its offices at 6012 County Farm Road in Ballston Spa on Wednesday, July 27 from 9:30AM to 11:30AM and 1:30PM to 3:30PM.Īn appointment is required. Peter's Health Partners said their physicians are up to date on the latest guidance from the CDC and state DOH. When asked about the availability of monkeypox tests and treatments, spokespersons for Albany Medical Center and St. The Alliance for Positive Health, a health care and social service coordinator in the Capital Region that works with the LGBTQ community and other underserved groups, has been directing patients to their primary care doctors for tests and Saratoga County for vaccines. Health care organizations that cater to underserved communities said they are awaiting more guidance from the state. Monkeypox testing is similarly not available at Albany Medical Center's EmUrgentCare or primary care locations, a hospital spokesperson said. In many cases, the message hasn't trickled down.Īn employee at WellNow, one of the largest urgent care providers in the region, said its physicians don't test for monkeypox. And as I've mentioned, we now have commercial labs we’re bringing on board,” Bassett said during a press briefing this week. We have no backlog of untested specimens. The Wadsworth Center is able to process about 240 specimens a day. “We have in this state two outstanding public health labs. State health officials are struggling to get the word out to providers that the state has ample capacity to process screenings at its public health labs and through partnerships with LabCorp, Mayo Clinic, Aegis Sciences Corporation and Sonic Healthcare. "It is also the responsibility of providers to have the tools to appropriately care for their patients, and those tools include the latest information.” "We continue to ensure that clinicians in all parts of the State have the information they need to test and care for New Yorkers with suspected or confirmed monkeypox," spokesman Cort Ruddy said. The department has also done extensive outreach to educate health care providers on how to test for the disease, putting out three health advisories, holding two webinars and a virtual town hall with New York Health Commissioner Mary T. The state Department of Health pointed to its guidance for health providers on monkeypox specimen collection.
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