Mecklenburg ‘epicenter’ of NC monkeypox cases; vaccine demand grows by hundreds a day
State health officials said the number of monkeypox confirmed cases reported in Mecklenburg County has far exceeded the number of cases seen in other North Carolina counties.
“We know that Mecklenburg County has been the epicenter where we’ve seen the most cases in North Carolina,” N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley said during a press conference Monday. “Now is not the time for anxiety. It’s a time for action.”
As of Monday, there were 60 confirmed monkeypox cases in Mecklenburg County, up from 53 three days prior, Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington said.
Mecklenburg is the only county in the state that has reported more than 10 cases, according to data from NCDHHS.
The continued spike in cases comes amid President Joe Biden declaring the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency on Thursday. The designation allows the federal government to work with companies to produce vaccines and allocate funding to speed up the process, Kinsley.
“All of the amazing work that the public health team is doing here requires funding, so the public health emergency gives us a path to do that,” said Kinsley. “We’re looking forward to taking advantage of that.”
It will also provide funding for local health departments to expand access to testing and make testing more convenient for patients, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Mecklenburg County received 2,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine last week and is slated to administer them to 1,000 eligible patients health officials announced last week. So far, the county has administered 1,217 doses of the vaccine.
But the waiting list to receive shots is growing by “several hundred people per day,” Washington said.
“We currently have about 2,200 people on the wait list,” said Washington. “We’re working through that wait list as quickly as possible and expect that we will be through the allocation of 2,000 doses by the end of this week.”
RELATED: Monkeypox vaccine slots are full in Mecklenburg County. Here’s how to get on the wait list.
The average wait time to receive a vaccine is between five and seven days, and the county expects to get more doses of the vaccine within the next several weeks, said Washington.
“If you’re on the wait list, I encourage you to keep a watch on your email, because we will send you an email that lets you know when you’re available to be vaccinated,” Washington said.
People who experience any symptoms are eligible for monkeypox testing in North Carolina, NCDHHS assistant secretary of public health Dr. Susan Kansagra said.
“There are no capacity constraints in North Carolina for testing,” said Kansagra. “We want every provider to be able to do testing.”
Kansagra added that close contacts, or people who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for monkeypox, are monitored for signs of the virus, but testing is typically reserved for those who experience symptoms.
Eligibility for monkeypox vaccine is not expected to be expanded
Due to limited supply, the vaccine is only being offered to individuals who are at high risk of contracting monkeypox, including people who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox, men who have sex with men and transgender people who have had multiple anonymous sex partners.
Right now, there is no plan to expand vaccine eligibility, Kinsley said, adding that nearly all of the monkeypox cases reported in North Carolina have been in men, and 94% of those who tested positive for the virus reported having close contact with other men.
“It’s really important when you have a house on fire that the fire department responds to that house first,” said Kinsley. “We’re going to continue to push through that as folks come forward. As supply increases, we’ll be considering other eligibility, going to the places where we want to prevent further spread.”
