Starting this Friday, monkeypox vaccine appointments at D.C. clinics will be available on a walk-up basis only — no pre-registration is required. Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health made the announcement today. Eligible individuals can visit any of the three DC Health monkeypox clinics for their first or second dose.

Using exclusively walk-up clinics to distribute the monkeypox vaccine is a shift in DC Health’s approach. When the monkeypox virus first presented in the region and officials began vaccinating people in June, the city first used a much-in-demand pre-registration system. In August, the District added some limited walk-up availability on Fridays.

Now, all monkeypox vaccines will be available on a walk-up basis throughout the week at three different locations.

• Ward 2: 1900 I St. NW, 12 p.m.-8 p.m., Sunday-Friday
• Ward 4: 7350 Georgia Ave NW, 12 p.m.-8 p.m., Sunday-Friday
• Ward 8: 3640 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE, 12 p.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Saturday

Full vaccination requires multiple doses. Those who received a first dose via a pre-registered appointment will receive an email from DC Health with information on how to get the second shot, ideally 24 to 32 days after the initial dose.

There have been no changes in eligibility requirements for the monkeypox vaccine. The shot is being offered to any D.C. resident, D.C.-based worker, or D.C.-based college student who has had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks, is a sex worker, works in a location where sexual activity occurs, or anyone living with HIV/AIDS or who has been diagnosed with an STI in the past three months.  

Earlier in the summer, the District had the highest per capita rate of the known monkeypox cases in the country. As of Wednesday, the CDC and DC Health have reported a total of 488 cases in D.C., since the first case in the city was confirmed in late June. The 7-day rolling average for new cases has declined significantly from a peak in July, DC Health data show. Throughout the outbreak, most cases have been concentrated in Wards 1 and 2.

D.C. is the only local jurisdiction to pivot entirely to offering walk-up monkeypox vaccines. Neighboring suburbs in Virginia and Maryland have seen fewer cases than D.C., particularly considering the District’s small size, and they’re mostly still relying on online pre-registration systems to allow people access to the shot. Maryland residents can pre-register here, if they meet eligibility requirements. In Virginia, residents who meet certain criteria should visit their local health department page for pre-registration.

Monkeypox can be spread through direct contact with infectious rashes, scabs, or body fluids during intimate physical contact. It can also be spread through respiratory secretions from prolonged face-to-face contact or from touching infected fabrics. Symptoms include flu-like conditions, and rashes and lesions on the body.