With supplies scant, Georgia working to roll out monkeypox vaccine
ATLANTA (WRDW/WAGT) - With Georgia leading the Southeast in monkeypox cases, the state has started receiving limited doses of the vaccine, state health officials said Friday.
Georgia has received about 3,000 doses. Since two doses are needed, this is enough for 1,500 people.
The vaccine has been distributed upon request to county-level health departments and for vaccination events in two counties. Allocations from the federal government will increase as production of the vaccine ramps up, the Georgia Department of Public Health said.
The agency as of Friday had confirmed 93 monkeypox cases in Georgia, all among men living in metro Atlanta.
Most of the cases identify as men who have sex with men, the agency said.
“As such we are prioritizing vaccine distribution in five metro counties - Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton,” the agency said in a statement.
There is no residency requirement; however, but people must register for an appointment and meet certain eligibility requirements.
Because demand outweighs supply, DPH is following the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and prioritizing monkeypox vaccine for individuals at high risk of infection.
Vaccination may be recommended for people who are close personal contacts of people with monkeypox, individuals who may have been exposed to monkeypox, or people who have increased risk of being exposed to the virus such as lab workers.
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People are urged to speak with their healthcare provider if they are in one of these groups.
People with monkeypox in the current outbreak generally report having close, sustained physical contact with other people who have monkeypox. While many of those affected in the current global outbreaks are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox can get the illness.
While monkeypox does not spread like COVID-19, everyone should take steps to protect themselves from monkeypox.
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.
- Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox.
- Do not kiss, hug, cuddle, or have close personal contact with someone with monkeypox.
- Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox.
- Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
The health agency is working to create online scheduling for monkeypox vaccine as our allocations increase.
“We will keep you updated on when that scheduling system will be ready and provide information on accessing it,” the agency said. “Until then, we urge individuals who may have had contact with monkeypox or are high risk of exposure to contact their health care provider.”
Learn more
For more information on monkeypox, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/epidemiology/acute-disease-epidemiology/monkeypox or https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html.
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