Vaccines harder to find as monkeypox cases climb in metro Atlanta

ATLANTA — The number of monkeypox cases in Georgia continues to climb.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the state has seen more than 1,200 cases, including at least three in children, but the monkeypox vaccine can still be hard to find.

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With monkeypox impacting the gay community in large numbers, Jeremy Moore felt he needed the shot.

“Social media is a big place of awareness,” said Moore. “And I saw a couple of people who contracted the virus and I just said, ‘Jeremy, you know what? I prayed, did my research and I said I’m not dealing with any kind of bumps.’”

So, he searched for a monkeypox vaccine, finally finding one an hour and a half from his Sandy Springs home.

He’s one of just roughly 19,000 Georgians who’ve received at least one dose of the vaccine.

“With me being a homosexual male, it was really, really important,” said Moore. “I haven’t had a lot of sex partners but it was just the fact of being just cautious.”

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He told us his post-vaccine symptoms were mild, mostly just aches and exhaustion.

Dr. Barbara Joy Jones, a family medicine physician in Lawrenceville, wants to put to rest rumors those who get the vaccine could develop monkeypox.

“The monkeypox virus is not in the vaccine,” said Jones. “So you cannot get monkeypox from the vaccine.”

Right now, the state is directing people to find the shot through the Department of Public Health website, but there’s still a limited number of people who can get it.

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“It is available to 18 years and older, to those men who have sex with men or those who are exposed to men who have sex with men,” said Jones.

With gay pride events coming up Labor Day weekend, bringing more people together, Moore hopes more men will consider the shot.

“Do your research and I think you should get it,” said Moore. “I think this is a big help to a lot of people.”

If you would like to find a monkeypox vaccination shot… we’ve put a link for you on our website here.

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