Mpox Vaccine Interest Survey for Prioritizing Limited Vaccine Availability

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The U.S. mpox outbreak began on May 17, 2022 and was declared a public health emergency on August 4. On June 9, the first case of mpox in Arizona was confirmed in a Maricopa County resident, and shortly thereafter mpox cases increased significantly. Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) activated an emergency response with an Incident Command Structure, which included more than 175 employees and volunteers from across the Department to support disease prevention efforts with testing, treatment, and vaccination. Federal and state organizations allocated JYNNEOS vaccine to Maricopa County, but supplies were initially limited. MCDPH Offices of Epidemiology and Data Services, Communications and Marketing, Community Wellness and Health Promotion, and Preparedness and Response; Community Action Resource and Emergency Response Call Center; and Division of Clinical Services, launched an mpox vaccine interest survey to gather contact information, provide updates on JYNNEOS availability, and advertise vaccination clinics. Our process attempted to connect anonymous or unknown contacts and high-risk individuals to vaccine while subverting stigma associated with being named a close contact during a standard public health case investigation. This intervention allowed MCDPH to utilize limited resources to effectively prioritize vaccine distribution to interested individuals who were most at risk.