White House Rolls Out Monkeypox Pilot Program at Charlotte Pride
As monkeypox, or MPV, continues to spread primarily among gay, bi, and queer men and men who have sex with men, local communities are implementing a new Biden administration pilot program to get MPV vaccines into at-risk peoples' arms at large gatherings.
This weekend, the Mecklenburg Health Department was the first to roll out the new program as more than 275,000 people attended events during Charlotte Pride, and while many said information about the vaccine availability was lacking, officials are satisfied with the results.During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Mecklenburg County Health Department director Dr.
Raynard Washington spoke to reporters about what he considered a successful rollout."This weekend, our team vaccinated roughly 540 individuals who met the current high-risk eligibility criteria here in North Carolina, bringing our total administered here in Mecklenburg County to 3300."He added that he was proud of his "team's efforts this weekend to reach the most at-risk residents by simply meeting people where they are."In addition to vaccines, the county provided education and information at the festival on Saturday and Sunday, Paige Bennett, deputy director of Mecklenburg County Public Health, told The Advocate in a statement.
Staff also offered the vaccine at outreach events at night through community partners. The Advocate learned that there was no signage for MPV vaccine information at Charlotte Pride.
