The Biden administration will supply Georgia with up to 5,500 additional doses of monkeypox vaccine leading up to and during Black Pride events in Atlanta this weekend.

Nationwide data shows Black men who have sex with men are being hit hardest by the virus. But among men who have sex with men, they aren't getting vaccinated at the same rate as other groups.

In Fulton County, Black people account for about 80-percent of cases and have received about 60-percent of the vaccines. Statewide, the rate is 80-percent to 44-percent, still greater than the numbers nationwide.

In anticipation of Black Pride, Atlanta and the surrounding counties, including Fulton County, DeKalb County, Cobb County, and Gwinnett County, have been holding routine monkeypox vaccination clinics over the last week.

The Georgia Department of Health will support 12 additional vaccination events across Atlanta and the broader metro area through Monday.

The Fulton County Board of Health will also be adding evening vaccination hours, and on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a special clinic will be set up at the Neighborhood Union Health Center. 

The White House praised the county's coordination of vaccine events with groups serving people of color.

"I want to raise up that Fulton County taking steps to address equity means that their story is a lot different that other parts of the country," White House national monkeypox response deputy coordinator Demetre Daskalakis said. "And it just shows that really the way that you build confidence is by making vaccine accessible."

 

Tags: Atlanta  Macon  Savannah  monkeypox  vaccines