Pucci’s Pharmacy has a big role in Sacramento’s monkeypox vaccination effort

An East Sacramento pharmacy is trying to help alleviate the growing monkeypox outbreak by becoming a destination in the county where people can get vaccinated against the virus. But the owners of Pucci’s Pharmacy said Wednesday there needs to be more local, state and federal support as they and others continue their efforts.”We’re doing it because it’s important,” said Joel Hochman, CEO and a co-owner of Pucci’s Pharmacy, along with his husband Dr. Clan Hopkins. “We’re doing it and giving up a lot of our free time, a lot of our time outside our normal operating hours to do this because we know that it is that critical and important to our community.” Hopkins, who holds a doctor of pharmacy, said the monkeypox response is proving to be more involved than the COVID-19 response that tasked the pharmacy during the height of the pandemic. With monkeypox, he said, there is more education to be done, more stigma to combat and more evaluations that need to be done to ensure patients are receiving the care they need, whether at risk of the disease, showing symptoms, or potentially exposed. “We go home at night and we’re all exhausted, but also we’re making a difference in our community and getting patients vaccinated that really need to be vaccinated,” Hopkins said. Pucci’s is leading the vaccination effort in Sacramento County According to data by Sacramento County Public Health, as the monkeypox vaccine remains limited, officials have received 4,728 doses of the monkeypox vaccine. The county has administered 1,169 doses at clinics and to those identified as close contacts of positive cases. It has redistributed 2,905 doses to other medical providers, including Pucci’s. “Sites are chosen based on their ability to serve the eligible population and demonstrate that they can utilize doses within a week of receipt,” the county said. Hochman said that Pucci’s has received around 2,000 vaccines and injected nearly all of them so far. Other medical providers that have received the vaccine in the county are Kaiser Permanente’s South Sacramento and Point West locations, One Community Health and the Sacramento VA Medical Center. KCRA 3 reached out to each of those providers about their vaccination program and so far has received a response from Kaiser and the VA. “Any member experiencing symptoms consistent with monkeypox or who believes they may have been exposed to monkeypox should contact their Kaiser Permanente physician,” a spokesperson said. Kaiser did not say how many vaccines they received and used but instead referred us to the Sacramento County Department of Public Health. “Supply and distribution of medications to treat and vaccinate against monkeypox are allocated by the local Department of Public Health in each county. As vaccine supply improves over the next few weeks, we hope to be able to operationalize and communicate about broader vaccination efforts,” Kaiser’s statement said. The VA has received 20 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine and so far has used six, spokesman Jason Dominguez said. The vaccine is being used for veteran patients at the highest risk and for those with known exposure to the virus. According to a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Department of Public Health, sites that receive vaccines are selected “based on their ability to serve the eligible population and demonstrate that they can utilize doses within a week of receipt.”Who qualifies for the monkeypox vaccineAccording to the California Department of Public Health, the JYNNEOS vaccine is for people with known close contacts of monkeypox cases, those with occupational risks like lab workers and those with certain risk factors that make them more likely to have been recently exposed. That could be people who attended an event or venue where there was known exposure. California is also requesting more vaccine doses from the federal government to expand vaccination efforts to people with high risk of catching the virus, including gay, bisexual, trans and other men who have sex with men who are at high risk of monkeypox exposure. Hopkins and Hochman said Pucci’s is working in tandem with Sacramento County’s public health department to get vaccines to those who need it. They believe a strong working relationship with the county during the COVID-19 response set them to be a good partner for county health officials. The couple also said this feels personal as monkeypox is largely impacting the LGBTQ community at this point.”A pharmacy is a very accessible space for all patients, regardless of where they come from or how they identify,” Hopkins said.Pucci’s owners are concerned by the low reimbursement rate for the vaccineAnd while there are myriad issues with the rollout of the vaccine and the monkeypox response so far, they said, one element of that concern is the low reimbursement rate for the monkeypox vaccine. They explained that while the vaccine is given by the government to the provider, in their case the pharmacy, they are able to charge an administration fee to account for the staffing it takes to administer doses and other business-related expenses. They said they are only slated to receive $19 for monkeypox vaccines compared to COVID-19’s $40 and were disheartened by the drastic difference. They hoped that number would rise to be more equitable to other services’ reimbursement allotments. KCRA 3 reached out to the California Department of Public Health about reimbursement rates and is awaiting a response. Pucci’s Pharmacy will be hosting a monkeypox vaccination event Saturday at the LGBT Center on 20th Street from 3 to 6 pm Anyone who meets the criteria for a vaccine will be able to walk in to receive one.Meanwhile, the number of monkeypox cases in Sacramento County has grown to 82, as of Thursday. The statewide tally is updated on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. | RELATED | Here is a map of California monkeypox cases by county and what else to know

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

An East Sacramento pharmacy is trying to help alleviate the growing monkeypox outbreak by becoming a destination in the county where people can get vaccinated against the virus. But the owners of Pucci’s Pharmacy said Wednesday there needs to be more local, state and federal support as they and others continue their efforts.

“We’re doing it because it’s important,” said Joel Hochman, CEO and a co-owner of Pucci’s Pharmacy, along with his husband Dr. Clan Hopkins. “We’re doing it and giving up a lot of our free time, a lot of our time outside our normal operating hours to do this because we know that it is that critical and important to our community.”

Hopkins, who holds a doctor of pharmacy, said the monkeypox response is proving to be more involved than the COVID-19 response that tasked the pharmacy during the height of the pandemic. With monkeypox, he said, there is more education to be done, more stigma to combat and more evaluations that need to be done to ensure patients are receiving the care they need, whether at risk of the disease, showing symptoms, or potentially exposed.

“We go home at night and we’re all exhausted, but also we’re making a difference in our community and getting patients vaccinated that really need to be vaccinated,” Hopkins said.

Pucci’s is leading the vaccination effort in Sacramento County

According to data by Sacramento County Public Health, as the monkeypox vaccine remains limited, officials have received 4,728 doses of the monkeypox vaccine.

The county has administered 1,169 doses at clinics and to those identified as close contacts of positive cases. It has redistributed 2,905 doses to other medical providers, including Pucci’s.

“Sites are chosen based on their ability to serve the eligible population and demonstrate that they can utilize doses within a week of receipt,” the county said.

Hochman said that Pucci’s has received around 2,000 vaccines and injected nearly all of them so far.

Other medical providers that have received the vaccine in the county are Kaiser Permanente’s South Sacramento and Point West locations, One Community Health and the Sacramento VA Medical Center.

KCRA 3 reached out to each of those providers about their vaccination program and so far has received a response from Kaiser and the VA.

“Any member experiencing symptoms consistent with monkeypox or who believes they may have been exposed to monkeypox should contact their Kaiser Permanente physician,” a spokesperson said.

Kaiser did not say how many vaccines they received and used but instead referred us to the Sacramento County Department of Public Health.

“Supply and distribution of medications to treat and vaccinate against monkeypox are allocated by the local Department of Public Health in each county. As vaccine supply improves over the next few weeks, we hope to be able to operationalize and communicate about broader vaccination efforts,” Kaiser’s statement said.

The VA has received 20 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine and so far has used six, spokesman Jason Dominguez said. The vaccine is being used for veteran patients at the highest risk and for those with known exposure to the virus.

According to a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Department of Public Health, sites that receive vaccines are selected “based on their ability to serve the eligible population and demonstrate that they can utilize doses within a week of receipt.”

Who qualifies for the monkeypox vaccine

According to the California Department of Public Health, the JYNNEOS vaccine is for people with known close contacts of monkeypox cases, those with occupational risks like lab workers and those with certain risk factors that make them more likely to have been recently exposed. That could be people who attended an event or venue where there was known exposure. California is also requesting more vaccine doses from the federal government to expand vaccination efforts to people with high risk of catching the virus, including gay, bisexual, trans and other men who have sex with men who are at high risk of monkeypox exposure.

Hopkins and Hochman said Pucci’s is working in tandem with Sacramento County’s public health department to get vaccines to those who need it. They believe a strong working relationship with the county during the COVID-19 response set them to be a good partner for county health officials. The couple also said this feels personal as monkeypox is largely impacting the LGBTQ community at this point.

“A pharmacy is a very accessible space for all patients, regardless of where they come from or how they identify,” Hopkins said.

Pucci’s owners are concerned by the low reimbursement rate for the vaccine

And while there are myriad issues with the rollout of the vaccine and the monkeypox response so far, they said, one element of that concern is the low reimbursement rate for the monkeypox vaccine.

They explained that while the vaccine is given by the government to the provider, in their case the pharmacy, they are able to charge an administration fee to account for the staffing it takes to administer doses and other business-related expenses. They said they are only slated to receive $19 for monkeypox vaccines compared to COVID-19’s $40 and were disheartened by the drastic difference. They hoped that number would rise to be more equitable to other services’ reimbursement allotments.

KCRA 3 reached out to the California Department of Public Health about reimbursement rates and is awaiting a response.

Pucci’s Pharmacy will be hosting a monkeypox vaccination event Saturday at the LGBT Center on 20th Street from 3 to 6 pm Anyone who meets the criteria for a vaccine will be able to walk in to receive one.

Meanwhile, the number of monkeypox cases in Sacramento County has grown to 82, as of Thursday. The statewide tally is updated on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

| RELATED | Here is a map of California monkeypox cases by county and what else to know