September 9, 2022
Media Contact: Larry Hill, larry.hill@vdh.virginia.gov
VDH Reopens Regional Community Vaccination Center in Norfolk
(Norfolk, Va.)— The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) today announced that the Community Vaccination Center (CVC) at the Military Circle Mall, 880 N. Military Highway in Norfolk, will open Monday, Sept. 12. Monkeypox vaccinations will be available Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. COVID-19 vaccinations will be available Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We welcome this joint effort by the City of Norfolk, Virginia Beach Health Department and the Norfolk Health Department,” said Norfolk and Portsmouth Acting Health Director, Dr. Sulola Adekoya. “We encourage those in need of a monkeypox or COVID-19 vaccination, to take advantage of this free opportunity.”
You can register for a monkeypox vaccination by visiting https://vase.vdh.virginia.gov and clicking on monkeypox, then enter zip code 23502.
Monkeypox is a rare contagious rash illness caused by the monkeypox virus. The virus is in the same family of viruses as the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox causes milder illness than smallpox, but some symptoms can be severe. The monkeypox virus can spread from animals to people and from person to person.
The risk to the community is considered low at this time. Anyone can get and spread monkeypox; however, it is spread by close contact with an infected person. The highest risk activity at present is sex with multiple or anonymous partners. Avoiding these activities greatly reduces your risk of catching or spreading monkeypox.
Monkeypox can spread from person to person through:
- Sexual or intimate contact (including oral, anal, and vaginal sex)
- Hugging, kissing, cuddling, and massage
- Sharing a bed, sharing a towel, or sharing clothes that have not been washed
In Virginia, a two-dose series of a monkeypox vaccine (JYNNEOS) is recommended for individuals who identify with any of the following groups:
- All people, of any sexual orientation or gender, who have had anonymous or multiple (more than one) sexual partners in the last two weeks; or
- Sex workers (of any sexual orientation or gender); or
- Staff (of any sexual orientation or gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (such as bathhouses, sex clubs)
Starting Saturday, Sept. 17, COVID-19 vaccinations will be given on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., all COVID-19 vaccines, including the new bivalent booster vaccines, will be offered. There is no registration. Walk-ins only. Virginians who are unvaccinated remain at high risk of severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19. Vaccinations will be for those aged 6 months and older.
To find a COVID-19 or monkeypox vaccine event near you, contact or check the website of your local health department; to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a pharmacy or other location, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1). Assistance is available in English, Spanish, and more than 100 other languages.