NCDHHS expands eligibility for monkeypox vaccination

North Carolina officials have expanded eligibility for those seeking monkeypox vaccinations. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says that vaccinations are now available for anyone who has had close contact in the past two weeks with someone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox.

Eligibility also extends to gay or bisexual men or transgender individuals who have been sexually active within the last 90 days, those who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, and those who have been receiving medications to prevent HIV infection.

Dr. Cynthia Snider, an epidemiologist with Cone Health, admits the public may be experiencing vaccine fatigue on the heels of COVID-19. But she reminds residents that the two diseases are not spread in the same way.

"Monkeypox is not a respiratory illness, it's really spread person-to-person through infected body fluids," says Snider. 

NCDHHS reports that as of Tuesday there have been 38 cases of Monkeypox reported in North Carolina, nearly all involving men who have sex with men. More than 60 percent have been Black men, and officials are expressing concern with that disparity.

To help raise awareness, NCDHHS, in partnership with LGBTQ advocacy group Equality NC, is holding a virtual town hall on Thursday to share information about how to get checked, tested, and treated.