A look at monkeypox and Fulton County’s push to vaccinate – CBS 46 News

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – On Thursday, Fulton County will offer walk-in monkeypox vaccinations at the Neighborhood Union Health Center, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“Due to limited supply, only sexually active gay and bisexual men with multiple partners are eligible to get vaccinations,” said a social media post on Wednesday evening.

Walk-in services have largely not been available since the beginning of the outbreak. For weeks, county health departments have struggled to meet the demand of those seeking vaccinations.

“We have administered over 7,000 vaccines and are ramping up our efforts every week,” said Dr. David Holland, Chief Clinical Officer for the Fulton County Board of Health.

Dr. Holland said Fulton County accounts for roughly 55% of Georgia’s monkeypox cases.

In the last week, Dr. Holland said Fulton County began using a different method of administering the vaccine that allows the department to get more shots in arms.

A change approved by the FDA changed health departments’ methods of administration from subcutaneous to intradermal.

The intradermal method takes a smaller volume to achieve the same immune response.

“That allows us by switching the method of administering the vaccine – it allows us to get more doses out of the bottle,” said Dr. Holland.

Dr. Holland said Fulton County Board of Health received confirmation that it will receive a specialized allotment of vaccine from the federal government ahead of Atlanta Black Pride, celebrated over the Labor Day weekend.

Dr. Holland said Black men account for nearly 80% of Fulton County’s monkeypox cases.

Among those is Angelo Perry, of Atlanta, who contracted the virus in mid-July.

After a stint in the hospital, Perry said he was quarantined in an Atlanta hotel starting on August 4.

As of Wednesday, Perry was still awaiting permission from health officials to leave quarantine.

“I was afraid. I cried every day. And it was just really mentally challenging for me, and it still is,” said Perry in a virtual interview with CBS46 News.

Perry began logging his experience through social media videos.

“Wash your hands, stay away from people, because this shit is real man,” said Perry, in a social media post on Day 7.

A week later, he wrote, “this is day 19 of me being infected with the monkeypox virus.”

Perry said the purpose of doing an on-camera interview and documenting his sickness is he wanted to inform the public about what monkeypox looks like and encourage others to take the necessary steps to avoid it.

“To use it as a warning signal, not just for my community, but for heterosexuals, for women and for children, that monkeypox is real, this is how it looks, and it could happen to anyone,” said Perry, who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community.

Perry said he doesn’t know where he contracted the virus.

“The three guys I was intimate with in that time frame [in mid-July when he contracted the virus], none of them still to this day have monkeypox,” Perry said.

Perry says he works in a warehouse setting and at large-scale sporting events.

Perry started a GoFundMe to help offset the costs of being out of work for the last month.

Perry said he’s had at least 21 scabs visible on his body, with more detected in his groin area. He says health officials call him to check on his status.

Perry said officials told him that skin must grow over the scabs before they’ll give him the okay to leave quarantine.

“I just feel there’s going to be a lot of hostility toward me. I’m actually anticipating it. But I feel like it’s [telling his story] for a good cause.

NOTE: CBS46 does not vet or endorse any attempts to collect money via GoFundMe. Donate at your own risk.

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