Protect yourself from getting mpox by following these guidelines:
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like mpox.
- Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with mpox.
- Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with mpox.
- Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with mpox has used.
- Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with mpox.
- Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with mpox.
- 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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed to mpox and people who may be more likely to contract the virus, including:
- People who have been notified by public health officials that they are a contact of someone with mpox
- People with a sexual partner in the past 2 weeks who has been diagnosed with mpox
- People who had multiple sexual partners in the past 2 weeks in an area with known mpox
- People whose jobs may expose them to orthopoxviruses, such as laboratory workers who perform testing for orthopoxviruses, or handle cultures or animals with orthopoxviruses
