It is possible to get a monkeypox vaccination in L. A. County if you’re eligible. It just might require a little patience. All of the available vaccine doses in Los Angeles County are being given to participating clinics through the Department of Public Health . The department allows a limited amount at a time to ensure those clinics give out all the vaccines before getting more of them. “They’re trying to intentionally dole it out in small batches so we make sure vaccines are being delivered into arms as quickly as possible,” said Ward Carpenter, director of health services for the Los Angeles LGBT Center , which is one of the participating partners. To get the monkeypox vaccination in Los Angeles County, you need to sign up through the public health department. When vaccination appointments are available, the department lets you pre-register for an appointment at a clinic . When you pre-register, you’ll need to enter your name, phone number and email, and answer some questions. The confirmation notice says it will place you on a list, and you’ll be notified when it’s your turn to get vaccinated. When there are no appointments available, you won’t be able to sign up for pre-registration. But availability changes frequently, Carpenter said, and his advice is to “just stay on that link, just check it every day, once a day, twice a day. ” “As soon as [an appointment] comes up, you’ll be able to sign up and get it,” he said. “It’ll be closed one moment, but as soon as they open up more appointments, they’ll open it up again. The way that they’re doing it is keeping it really responsive to supply and capacity. ” The department also has a newsletter that will send you an email once more appointments open up. The place to enter your email to sign up for the monkeypox vaccination availability alert newsletter is on the yellow banner at the top of this page . Enter your email address in the box and click “submit. ” Right now, the county is prioritizing getting the first shots into arms over scheduling appointments for second shots. California Los Angeles County’s monkeypox vaccination effort will initially focus on getting first shots into arms over administering both doses. If you think you have been exposed to or have monkeypox, do not go to a vaccination site. Contact your healthcare provider, call 2-1-1, or visit a public sexual health clinic . You must be 18 or older and a gay or bisexual man or transgender person and meet at least one of the following criteria to be eligible for the vaccination in L. A. County: California As monkeypox cases across California and the U. S. continue to rise, experts address some of the concerns and questions swirling about virus, and what activities people should consider risky, or not. Symptoms of monkeypox typically begin within five to 21 days of exposure. Early indicators include flu-like symptoms like fever, malaise, chills, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash and the telltale lesions. The department of public health has photos of what the blisters look like and more information on monkeypox symptoms . Monkeypox is rarely fatal, and there have been no deaths in the United States from monkeypox during this outbreak. Globally, there have been 29,833 cases of monkeypox and 11 deaths from it since May 2022, according to data from the World Health Organization . Science & Medicine Smallpox was eradicated in 1980, so few people born after that year are vaccinated against it. Now the vaccine is being used to protect people from monkeypox. Here’s what to know. .