Protect Yourself and Others from Monkeypox
Protect Yourself
Take the following steps to prevent getting monkeypox:
Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.
Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox.
Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with monkeypox.
Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used.
Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox.
Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.
In Central and West Africa, avoid contact with animals that can spread monkeypox virus, usually rodents and primates. Also, avoid sick or dead animals, as well as bedding or other materials they have touched.
Learn more about how you can lower your risk of getting monkeypox during sex or at a social gathering.
Vaccine
CDC recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed to monkeypox and people who may be more likely to get monkeypox.
People more likely to get monkeypox include:
People who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox
People who are aware that one of their sexual partners in the past 2 weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox
People who had multiple sexual partners in the past 2 weeks in an area with known monkeypox
People whose jobs may expose them to orthopoxviruses, such as:
Laboratory workers who perform testing for orthopoxviruses
Laboratory workers who handle cultures or animals with orthopoxviruses
Some designated healthcare or public health workers