As NC Monkeypox Cases Rise, Mayor Seils Urges Those Eligible to Get Vaccinated – Chapelboro.com
There has been a continued increase in monkeypox cases around North Carolina, and just last week, two Wake County women were diagnosed with the virus. Until this point in the state, it was found exclusively in men.
As of August 29, North Carolina has 308 confirmed cases of monkeypox. The first case in Orange County was identified on August 17.
Monkeypox can spread through close — often skin-to-skin — contact. Symptoms of monkeypox include a rash that, according to the CDC, can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy. Other symptoms include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion.
With that, more and more people are encouraging those who are eligible to make appointments for the monkeypox vaccine. One UNC senior recently received his: Shane Hostetler, who got vaccinated at UNC’s Infectious Disease Clinic last week.
“I’m currently also on PrEP, which is a preventative for other diseases,” Hostetler said. “And when I went in to get a check-up at one of UNC’s clinics, they were just like, ‘Are you interested in getting the monkeypox vaccine?’ They provided me with a pamphlet, some materials on how it’s spreading, how many cases there are in Orange County and what it could do for me — they offered it as part of my check-up.”
Hostetler said he experienced no side effects after the shot, and that it was one of the easiest vaccines he’s ever gotten.
“I just got it and left and it was no big deal,” Hostetler said. “I didn’t have any soreness or anything at all.”
Hostetler urges everyone to take what measures they can to protect themselves and others from monkeypox.
Damon Seils is doing the same. The Carrboro Mayor received his monkeypox vaccine in Durham County a few weeks ago. In a recent interview with 97.9 The Hill, Seils said he wants to open up conversations about the virus.
“The monkeypox virus is something that is increasing in its prevalence, not just here in North Carolina but around the country,” Seils said. “There are outbreaks all over.”
Seils added in North Carolina, there are disparities in where the virus is spreading as well as who is able to access vaccines. He noted, however, the state expanded their eligibility criteria for the vaccine to reduce this divide.
“First of all, anyone who has been exposed in the past two weeks who has been diagnosed with monkeypox should get vaccinated,” Seils said. “But also gay men, bisexual men and transgender individuals who in the past 90 days have had more than one sex partner or who have been receiving PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV prevention, which is pretty common in the gay male community should look into getting vaccinated as well.”
Vials of of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox in the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco. (Photo via Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle and AP.)
Seils emphasized another inequity in vaccine trends in North Carolina.
“Although about 70 percent of the cases in North Carolina have been among Black men, only about a quarter or so of the people who have gotten vaccinated are Black men,” Seils said. “We really need to spread the word — make sure we’re talking to our community partners about access to vaccines.
Seils said the state is struggling to meet overall demand with a limited number of vaccines. He added this means before expansion of the eligibility criteria can occur, vaccinating the most vulnerable and high-risk groups is crucial.
Hostetler said he is cautiously optimistic about the potential for a monkeypox outbreak to occur on UNC’s campus.
“I am nervous as a college student that it’s going to spread across campus, especially at close party events,” Hostetler said. “But I’m hoping that because we’re starting early and they’re already giving out the vaccine we can stop the spread.”
“Definitely go get vaccinated and get your friends vaccinated,” Hostetler said. “You don’t want to be out of commission for three weeks.”
If eligible, you can contact the Orange County Health Department to find a location near you to receive the vaccine. For resources and more details about monkeypox response, visit the Centers for Disease Control website.
Photo via Damon Seils on Twitter.
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