Data reveals racial disparities in monkeypox vaccine distribution in NC

White people are getting the majority of monkeypox vaccine doses in North Carolina, even though they don't make up the majority of cases. That's according to data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The report, released last week, shows about 62% of vaccine doses administered in North Carolina were given to white residents. Black people received about one-third of the total, even though over two-thirds of monkeypox cases in the state are in that population.  

Dr. Zack Moore says they saw a similar disparity in the early days of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

“You tend to get people who have better access to resources, more plugged into health care, who are able to access vaccines the fastest," says Moore. "And, unfortunately, that tends to not include as many people in the African American population and other historically marginalized populations where there may not be the same degree of access. There may also be issues with mistrust of the medical or public health systems.”

Moore says the state is trying to apply lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to find solutions. He says health officials are connecting with community leaders to figure out where to deploy vaccine resources and working to address vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable populations. 

As of Wednesday, 318 monkeypox cases have been reported in North Carolina.