Louisiana receiving 6,000 monkeypox vaccine doses ahead of Southern Decadence

Louisiana will receive up to 6,000 additional doses of the monkeypox vaccine ahead of the South Decadence festival in New Orleans, one of the largest LGBTQ+ gatherings in the U.S., the White House announced Tuesday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards joined a White House press briefing Tuesday to speak about plans to distribute monkeypox vaccinations and perform widespread testing near the Southern Decadence festival, which begins Thursday.

“There’s no doubt that we will learn lessons over the weekend that we can then share with other folks around the country and help them to do an even better job of preparing for similar events,” Edwards said.

The extra doses will be used to support 12 community vaccination events being held around New Orleans and the area around the festival. The state and New Orleans health departments will also be holding a large-scale vaccination event on site during the festival. The event will include COVID-19 and monkeypox vaccinations along with HIV and STI testing.

Monkeypox:Rush to increase vaccination ahead of Southern Decadence festival in New Orleans

In addition to the vaccinations, the federal government will be piloting a mobile testing center for Southern Decadence. The state will also be preparing courses of TPOXX – a treatment for monkeypox – in case anyone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox needs treatment.

The 50-year-old festival, sometimes called “Gay Mardi Gras,” has drawn nearly 300,000 attendees in some years, and Edwards said the 2022 event is expected to draw tens of thousands from across country.

Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus that has been spreading rapidly across the U.S. and the globe. While the disease rarely leads to death, it can lead to painful sores and a rash.

The virus is spread through skin-to-skin contact. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that data suggests that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men make up a majority of monkeypox cases in the U.S.

More: A look at symptoms, treatment and other common questions about monkeypox

There were around 18,101 cases in the U.S. as of Tuesday and more than 48,800 around the world, according to the CDC.

As Southern Decadence approaches, the CDC has been working with the state and the City of New Orleans to distribute educational materials related to monkeypox during the festival. The White House is providing on-site and remote support in preparation of the festival, including support for the wastewater surveillance program.

The steps the federal government is taking ahead of Southern Decadence in New Orleans is part of its strategy to vaccinate individuals with the highest risk of contracting the virus. As part of the strategy, the White House is providing more vaccines and resources to areas that are holding large gatherings of LGBTQ+ individuals.

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This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: More monkeypox vaccine doses coming to Louisiana for Southern Decadence