Georgia receives shipment of monkeypox vaccine as production ramps up

ATLANTA - Health officials in Georgia say this week they received enough monkeypox vaccines for 1,500 people. This as the case count continues to climb in the state.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Georgia is the fourth-highest in monkeypox cases in the country. The CDC says health officials have identified 96 cases so far this year in the state. Nationwide, the CDC reports more than 1,400 cases. The Georgia Department of Public Health says those cases were all among men living in metro Atlanta.

The 3,000 doses of vaccine will be targeted to five metro counties including Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton as well as vaccination events in two counties.

There are no residency requirements, but those interested must register for an appointment and meet certain eligibility requirements. The GDPH says it will be targeting those at high risk of infection first. Those interested should contact their county health department.

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a virus that is spread through close physical contact. Dr. David Heymann with the World Health Organizations says "it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission." The current outbreak seems more prevalent in gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men. It’s unclear why, but the disease is no more likely to infect gay and bisexual men than anyone else.

"This may just be unlucky that (monkeypox) happened to get into this one particular community first," said Dr. Jake Dunning, an infectious diseases researcher at the University of Oxford, who is also involved in treating cases in London. "It’s just that they are a community and by having sex with each other, that is how it’s spreading," he said.

Any outbreak of an emerging virus is concerning, but most of the cases have been mild and there have been no deaths so far.

Who can get monkeypox?

Health experts warn that anyone is susceptible to the virus.

"Infectious diseases don’t care about borders or social networks. Some groups may have a greater chance of exposure right now, but by no means is the current risk of exposure to monkeypox" exclusive to men who have sex with men, said the CDC’s Dr. John Brooks.

Monkeypox also requires very close contact to spread, so it is not likely to prompt big waves of disease like COVID-19, which can be transmitted in the air by people with no symptoms.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

Most people recover within about two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, monkeypox can be fatal for up to 6% of cases and is thought to be more severe in children.

How is monkeypox being treated?

Smallpox vaccines have been proven effective against monkeypox and anti-viral drugs are also being developed.

The JYNNEOS is a two-dose vaccine spaced out 28 days. State health officials are working to obtain more doses as production ramps up.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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