CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is expanding eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine.
Starting Wednesday, the vaccine will be available for people who meet any of the following criteria:
- Anyone who had close contact in the past two weeks with someone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox; or
- Gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, or transgender individuals, who are sexually active; or
- People who have had sexual contact with gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, or transgender individuals in the past 90 days; or
- People living with HIV, or taking medication to prevent HIV (PrEP), or who were diagnosed with syphilis in the past 90 days.
Officials said the expanded eligibility is based on case data and current spread to protect more people in higher-risk categories. While anyone can get monkeypox, nearly all of North Carolina’s cases are still in gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men. Nationally, the CDC reports 78.9% of individuals report man to man sexual contact.
The new criteria remove requirements that might have prevented some gay, bisexual, or other MSM from getting vaccinated. People who have had sexual contact with this group are also in the expanded group of potential vaccine recipients.
As of Aug. 31, 11,420 vaccine doses have been administered across the state, and more doses are expected in the coming weeks. NCDHHS is working with all levels of government together in partnership with community organizations to improve disparities in monkeypox cases and vaccinations. As of Aug. 31, in North Carolina, 68% of cases were in Black or African American individuals but this group has received only 27% of monkeypox vaccines. Nationally, about 10% of vaccine doses have gone to Black or African American individuals.
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