45 monkeypox cases reported in NC in last 6 months

North Carolina health officials are encouraging people at risk for monkeypox, or mpox, to get vaccinated and help prevent the spread.

The reminder comes as 45 new mpox cases were reported across 12 North Carolina counties within the last six months, the state Department of Health and Human Services said.

The national mpox outbreak began in May 2022 and peaked from July to August of the same year. A total of 703 cases were reported in North Carolina in 2022, and only nine cases occurred in 2023.

Wake County health experts said getting the free vaccine now can help protect people through spring and summer, when large events and festivals take place and spread is more likely.

Find a monkeypox vaccine

North Carolina has a mpox vaccine locator tool to help people find a location near them.

Wake County Public Health offers both walk-in and appointment services for the JYNNEOS vaccine, a two-dose injection that helps prevent against mpox when given before or shortly after exposure.

Walk-in services (no appointment needed):

Wake County Public Health Center - HIV/STD evening clinic
10 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh (Clinic E)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Appointment-only services:

Wake County Public Health Center – Immunization Clinic
10 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh (Clinic E)
Monday - Friday, 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.
Call 919-250-3900 to make an appointment.

Monkeypox symptoms

Mpox typically begins with flu-like symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Exhaustion
• Rash on hands, feet, chest, face or mouth or near the genitals or perianal area.

The rash usually develops after the first symptoms, but in some recent cases, the rash has appeared before or at the same time as the flu-like symptoms. Symptoms can be more severe for people who are immunocompromised, such as in individuals living with HIV.

Who should get a monkeypox vaccine?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend vaccination against mpox if:

• You had known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox
• You had a sex partner in the past 2 weeks who was diagnosed with mpox
• You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men or a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse person who in the past 6 months has had any of the following:
  • A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis)
  • More than one sex partner
• You have had any of the following in the past 6 months:
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse)
  • Sex related to a large commercial event or in a geographic area (city or county for example) where mpox virus transmission is occurring
  • Sex in exchange for money or other items
  • You have a sex partner with any of the above risks
  • You anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios
• You have HIV or other causes of immune suppression and have had recent or anticipate future risk of mpox exposure from any of the above scenarios
• You work in settings where you may be exposed to mpox