NEW DETAILS: Monkeypox vaccine offered around Atlanta throughout Labor Day weekend

Local health departments are partnering with the Georgia Department of Public Health to offer monkeypox vaccinations in the metro area throughout Atlanta Black Pride weekend over the Labor Day holiday.

The effort was bolstered by 5,500 additional doses of vaccine given to Georgia by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Neighborhood Union Health Center in Vine City was one of five locations offering vaccines on Friday night. Organizers said 321 monkekpox vaccine doses were administered there Friday, with fewer than 100 of those being first doses.

Demand for monkeypox vaccines outstripped supplies earlier this summer as the number of infections rose in the U.S. and only local health departments could administer the shots. Doses were limited and demand was high.

“There was a lot of pressure for a long time to serve everyone and there was a lot of frustration around not being able to get appointments,” said Joshua O’Neal, director of sexual health promotion at the Fulton County Board of Health. “It makes me feel better that everybody can get served if they want it.”

O’Neal says that he worked directly with Pride promoters to get monkeypox vaccines offered at various clubs and bars over four days of the pride celebration. Atlanta is one of several LGBTQ festivals where federal health workers plan to offer the shots, hoping to reach the population most vulnerable in this outbreak.

The additional doses and partnerships with community based organizations has made vaccines more widely available across the metro area to those who meet eligibility criteria.

Monkeypox vaccines come in a two-dose series. Many have received their first doses and are in the 28-day waiting period before they can receive the second dose.

In numbers released by state health officials Wednesday, Georgia has reported more than 1,400 monkeypox cases, with a majority of them affecting men who have sex with men. Most report having sexual or close, skin-to-skin contact with an infected person in the 21 days prior to their infection.

“Atlanta Black Pride is a time for celebration and reconnecting with friends, but we also want to ensure we are not missing the opportunity to provide important education about and vaccination for monkeypox,” Dr. Alexander Millman, DPH’s chief medical officer, said in a press release. “DPH, along with our health districts and community partners, are working together to do everything we can to keep monkeypox from spreading so we can end this outbreak.”

Community-based organizations such as A Vision 4 Hope, NAESM and THRIVE SS are assisting with the more than a dozen vaccination sites. Walk-ins are welcome at most sites.

CORE, an organization that helped with COVID-19 vaccination efforts, is helping organizations administer doses.

“Black Pride is on full display here in Atlanta for this weekend. This is going to be a weekend of fun, expression and also safety. We’re making sure that people get monkeypox vaccines,” said Mayor Andre Dickens at the 3rd Annual Mayor’s Black Pride Reception Thursday night. “We are really thankful for our collaborative approach with Fulton County, with Emory Health System, Grady and the federal government giving us more vaccines.”

Vaccination Events

To make an appointment for monkeypox vaccination anywhere in the state, visit here.

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