Orlando bar and nonprofit team up to fight monkeypox – WESH 2 Orlando

August 19, 2022 Kim Martel

The number of monkeypox cases in Florida continues to rise.Those who are at highest risk for contracting monkeypox and/or have been exposed to the virus can get the vaccine when shots are available.On Friday, local bar District Dive on South Street in Orlando held a monkeypox vaccine event.Harmony Healthcare Orlando gave out 100 monkeypox vaccines from the Florida Department of Health.Who should get the shot?The nonprofit’s founder says the state has rules in place and high-risk individuals should get vaccinated.That includes people with multiple sexual partners, high-risk behaviors, health care workers or laboratory workers with exposure to get the vaccine.People can also be vaccinated after exposure to the monkeypox virus to help prevent monkeypox disease.“Monkeypox is very severe. It causes a lot of pain. It causes a lot of scarring. It is not an STD. It’s not just sexually transmitted. Skin-to-skin transmission can happen. So you want to make sure if you’re out, you’re among people, you’re touching people. It’s something you want to do to protect yourself. And even though we’re are a gay bar, it’s not a gay disease. It’s not. This disease affects anyone. We see about five to 10 patients in our practice every day of the week that are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual – all of them positive for monkeypox here in central Florida,” said Matthew Viera-Briggs, founder of Harmony Healthcare Orlando.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

The number of monkeypox cases in Florida continues to rise.

Those who are at highest risk for contracting monkeypox and/or have been exposed to the virus can get the vaccine when shots are available.

On Friday, local bar District Dive on South Street in Orlando held a monkeypox vaccine event.

Harmony Healthcare Orlando gave out 100 monkeypox vaccines from the Florida Department of Health.

Who should get the shot?

The nonprofit’s founder says the state has rules in place and high-risk individuals should get vaccinated.

That includes people with multiple sexual partners, high-risk behaviors, health care workers or laboratory workers with exposure to get the vaccine.

People can also be vaccinated after exposure to the monkeypox virus to help prevent monkeypox disease.

“Monkeypox is very severe. It causes a lot of pain. It causes a lot of scarring. It is not an STD. It’s not just sexually transmitted. Skin-to-skin transmission can happen. So you want to make sure if you’re out, you’re among people, you’re touching people. It’s something you want to do to protect yourself. And even though we’re are a gay bar, it’s not a gay disease. It’s not. This disease affects anyone. We see about five to 10 patients in our practice every day of the week that are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual – all of them positive for monkeypox here in central Florida,” said Matthew Viera-Briggs, founder of Harmony Healthcare Orlando.