Environment & Health

With Rhode Island and states throughout the region currently seeing the circulation of several respiratory viruses, including RSV, flu, and COVID-19, all Rhode Islanders are reminded to take basic prevention measures to help themselves and their family members stay healthy and safe.
“While RSV is a common virus that we see every year in Rhode Island, we are seeing cases earlier than usual, and we are seeing more virus circulating in the community,” said Interim Director of Health Utpala Bandy, MD, MPH. “The good news is that many of the prevention measures that help prevent the spread of the flu and COVID-19 also help prevent the spread of RSV. Regular hand washing and staying home from school or work when sick are two steps that everyone should be taking, especially kids and people who are in regular contact with school-age children, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions.”
All Rhode Islanders should:
– Get your flu shot. Everyone older than six months of age should be vaccinated every year. For information on where to get a flu shot, see health.ri.gov/flu.
– Be up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations. For many people, that means getting a booster. For information on how to get vaccinated against COVID-19, see C19vaccineRI.org.
– Cough or sneeze into your elbow.
– Wash your hands often with soap and water.
– Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work, and school.
– Stay home if you are sick.
– Keep children home from daycare or school who have fever, especially with a cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, congestion, runny nose, or sore throat, until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medications that reduce fever.
– Contact your pediatrician or healthcare provider if you believe your child needs medical care. Your provider can offer advice on whether your child needs to be evaluated in person, tested for COVID or flu, and the best location (doctor’s office, urgent care, emergency room) for care.
RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in one to two weeks. However, some infants and young children are at higher risk, such as premature infants, children younger than two years old with chronic lung disease or congenital (present from birth) heart disease, children with weakened immune systems, and children who have neuromuscular disorders. Additionally, some adults are at higher risk, including people older than 65, adults with chronic heart or lung disease, and adults with weakened immune systems.
The current increase in RSV cases may be due to lower levels of immunity in the community, resulting from the prevention measures that were taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as social distancing. Lower levels of immunity in the community may also result in a more severe flu season.
Cases of RSV usually peak in Rhode Island in early January. RSV cases are currently at roughly double what is seen during a typical January peak. The flu is starting to circulate in Rhode Island as well. The flu typically circulates in Rhode Island through the spring. Although rates of COVID-19 are lower than they have been previously, more than 100 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and with people increasingly spending time indoors, health officials across the country are expecting case increases in the coming weeks and months.
In addition to the prevention messages listed above, Rhode Islanders should know about the right places to seek care. Hospital emergency departments in Rhode Island are currently very crowded. Children and adults in emergency departments with less serious health issues are experiencing long wait times. People who do not need emergency medical care should not go to the emergency department. Long waits in the emergency department are frustrating, and they expose people to new sicknesses.
Many health issues can be treated more quickly and effectively by a primary care provider, in an urgent care facility, or in a health center. The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has lists of primary care providers, urgent care centers, and health centers posted at health.ri.gov/rightplace. The health issues best treated in these settings include back pain, sprains, minor cuts, colds, sore throat, low-grade fevers, and most cases of norovirus (sometimes called “the stomach flu”).
Some health issues need emergency medical care (either by calling 911 or going to the emergency department). Examples include trouble breathing; persistent chest pain; new difficulty speaking or confusion; inability to wake or stay awake; heavy bleeding; deep wounds; serious burns; possible broken bones (especially if the bone is pushing through the skin); and severe allergic reactions.
This is not a complete list of health issues that require emergency medical care. For more information, see health.ri.gov/rightplace.

PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH)’s Monkeypox Task Force today announced an expansion of the state’s monkeypox vaccination efforts this week by opening vaccine eligibility to additional at-risk populations and scheduling two community clinics. These clinics will be for eligible people who cannot be vaccinated at one of the healthcare facilities that will be vaccinating patients in Rhode Island. Today’s news comes as Rhode Island is receiving additional vaccine doses following a request Governor McKee made on a recent call with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“At this time, the risk of monkeypox for most Rhode Islanders continues to be low. However, we are taking this global outbreak very seriously,” said Governor Dan McKee. “I want to thank our task force and our local partners on the ground who will be operating clinics and vaccinating individuals. We will also continue to advocate for more vaccine doses so we can meet the demand.”
“While we are making monkeypox vaccine available as soon as it comes into the state, there is still more demand than supply right now in Rhode Island and across the country. Additional prevention measures are very important for people at elevated risk, including for people who have started the monkeypox vaccine series,” said Interim Director of Health Utpala Bandy, MD, MPH. “Our vaccination campaign is just one component of our far-reaching response, which also includes broad community engagement about many of these prevention measures, close coordination with healthcare providers throughout the state, case interviews and contact identification, and a comprehensive approach to testing.”
National and local health officials are currently responding to a global outbreak of monkeypox. To date, 25 cases of monkeypox have been identified in Rhode Island. More than 5,100 cases have been identified in the United States. There is a vaccine to help prevent monkeypox virus infection. However, this vaccine is in short supply nationally. Rhode Island’s vaccination campaign is expanding because of a limited supply of additional vaccine received from the federal government this week.
Vaccine eligibility
CDC is using a very specific formula to allocate monkeypox vaccine to states, considering factors such as population size, current monkeypox case counts, and historical data on sexually transmitted infections. To date, Rhode Island had only been vaccinating people identified as close contacts of someone who has tested positive for monkeypox. Rhode Island’s expanded vaccine eligibility now includes:
People who are identified through a case investigation as close contacts of an individual with confirmed monkeypox, and
Rhode Island residents who:
Are 18 years of age or older, and
Are men who identify as gay, bisexual, queer, or who have sex with men and/or transgender individuals, and
Have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the past 30 days.
Vaccination sites
Open Door Health, the Miriam Hospital Infectious Disease Clinic, and Thundermist Health Center have received limited amounts of monkeypox vaccine. These clinics regularly provide care to people who are at elevated risk for monkeypox. Using the clinical judgement of staff and eligibility guidance from RIDOH, these sites will be contacting existing patients about vaccination.
RIDOH will be operating two community clinics or people who are clinically eligible for vaccine but are not able to get an appointment to be vaccinated through Open Door Health, the Miriam Hospital Infectious Disease Clinic, or Thundermist Health Center.
Friday, August 5th – Rhode Island College, Alger Hall (Room 110), 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 6th – Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School, 375 Adelaide Avenue, Providence, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Pre-registration is required for these clinics. People who are not pre-registered will not be vaccinated at these clinics. People can pre-register for these clinics at health.ri.gov/monkeypox. (People who cannot register online can call 401-222-5960.) People should arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before their scheduled appointments.
People being vaccinated in Rhode Island are receiving the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine series. People who are vaccinated at these community clinics will receive information about where and when to receive their second doses, roughly 28 days later.
In addition to being able to make appointments, people will have the ability to submit their information to RIDOH and/or Open Door Health. People will be contacted when additional vaccine is available. (The Open Door Health list is for people who are and are not Open Door Health patients.) Visit odhpvd.org to submit information to Open Door Health. Visit health.ri.gov/monkeypox to submit information to RIDOH.
An additional shipment of 900 doses of vaccine from the federal government this week is supporting the expansion of Rhode Island’s vaccination campaign. RIDOH is working with community organizations to host additional community vaccination events as more vaccine becomes available.
Monkeypox transmission
An individual becomes contagious when symptoms first appear. (Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.) Transmission occurs through close physical contact with body fluids, monkeypox lesions, items that have been contaminated with fluids or lesion materials (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact. The infectious period ends when all skin sores have crusted over. This may take between two and four weeks.
Nationally, many gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with other men have been diagnosed with monkeypox, especially those who have reported multiple or anonymous sexual partners. However, people of any sexual orientation or gender identity can become infected with monkeypox.
Monkeypox prevention
In addition to getting vaccinated, there are other prevention measures that people can take. Before having close, physical contact with others, talk to your partners about their health and any recent rashes or sores. Additionally, if you have symptoms, particularly a rash consistent with monkeypox (even if you do not think you were in contact with anyone with monkeypox), or if you have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox:
– Stay home and isolate from household members
– Contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible for an evaluation
– Avoid skin-to-skin, or close contact with others, including sexual contact
– Inform sex partners about any symptoms you are experiencing
– Cover the rash with clean, dry, loose-fitting clothing
– If contacted by public health officials, answer their questions to help protect others who may have been exposed
More information
More information about monkeypox is available at health.ri.gov/monkeypox. RIDOH has additional prevention information on its webpage Sexual Health Information for Gay/Bisexual Men and Gender Diverse People.
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