Monkeypox vaccines are in short supply in North Carolina, official says

State health officials are releasing more information about monkeypox cases in North Carolina.

Twenty-one cases of monkeypox have been reported in the state as of Wednesday. 

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley said at a meeting for local health officials Thursday that anyone can get the virus, but nearly all of the cases in the state are among men who have sex with men. He said 60% of cases are in Black men.

Vaccines are available and can prevent illness if administered within two weeks of exposure. But they're currently in short supply. Kinsley told health leaders to priortize them for those most at risk: “men who have sex with men, specifically those who have had more than one sexual partner in the past 14 days, or sex with a stranger.”

More vaccine supply is expected in the coming weeks. As for testing, he said capacity is still high and encouraged those who think they've been exposed to the virus to contact their healthcare providers.