Monkeypox cases in Mecklenburg County double in one week

The NCDHHS visit comes as the waitlist for the monkeypox vaccine continues to grow. The county was set to receive 2,000 doses of the vaccine last week when there were already 1,800 people on that list.

Health experts say anyone can get the disease, but the virus is impacting the LGBTQ community disproportionately. It can spread through sex, skin-to-skin contact for long periods of time, or if your skin touches surfaces that have been exposed to sores.

On Monday, North Carolina DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley said, “Now is not a time for anxiety -- it’s a time for action.” He put an emphasis on getting tested, and getting vaccinated for those the most at risk.

“We want to get shots in arms as quickly as possible for our highest risk individuals, and we want to do that equitably,” Kinsley said.

So far, just about 1,200 monkeypox vaccines have been administered in Mecklenburg County. Last week, the county received 2,000 more doses, but there are currently about 2,200 people on the waiting list. Despite that, the county is hopeful it can keep up with the demand.

“We are able to vaccinate more people on a daily basis at the size we are vaccinating at, and we continue to add several hundred people to that waitlist every day,” said Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington.

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So far, it seems that monkeypox is less infectious than COVID-19 and it’s rare that patients will need to be sent to the hospital. But doctors say more needs to be done to get the disease under control.

“This is a different level. It requires really quite intimate contact,” said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, a Duke University health infectious disease specialist. “We’ve seen that intimate contact mainly, so far, occur actually through sexual networks and partner networks.”

According to health officials, nearly all of the monkeypox cases in North Carolina have been among men who have sex with men. That’s why state leaders are meeting with local advocacy organizations like Charlotte Pride, whose annual festival is at the end of the month.

“[We’re] working with them, ensuring that all facets of public safety are and always will be our primary concern,” said Charlotte Pride President Clark Simon. “It’s very heartening knowing we have folks like this helping us navigate that.”

Simon told Channel 9 that their meeting with state leaders Monday went well, adding that they’ll focus on prevention, awareness, and getting as many people vaccinated as possible.

(WATCH BELOW: First positive monkeypox case confirmed in Cabarrus County)