Black men have contracted monkeypox the most in SC. White men have gotten most vaccines
Black men have been infected the most by the MPX virus in South Carolina, according to new data released Friday.
White men have received most of the vaccines.
The new data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control shows the impact of the virus across age, race and gender and who has been vaccinated the most so far. The disproportionate impact on Black men by the virus follows nationwide trends.
Three months after MPX was first detected in South Carolina, this the first data showing who exactly has been most affected by the virus, which has infected more than 24,000 people across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here are the most notable developments from the state health department case data:
- Cases increased from the week of June 19, when MPX was first detected in the state until the week of July 31
- Ever since the end of July, the number of cases added each week has largely declined. The week ending September 17 had just three new cases
- Black, non-Hispanic people represent 52% of the cases, followed by white, non-Hispanic people with 23% and Hispanic people with 7%
- The vast majority of cases have been with men. Just seven cisgender women have been infected with the virus. One transgender woman has also been infected
- Most of the cases are in people age 21-45
Here are the case breakdowns by region. The state has not given out county or city level data:
- 29 cases in the Lowcountry
- 60 cases in the Midlands
- 18 cases in the Pee Dee
- 49 cases in the Upstate
As for vaccinations, the state has given out 1,899 total vaccinations and still has more than 10,000 doses left in reserves thanks to a new immunization method that increased the number of doses per vial from one to four or five.
White, non-Hispanic people make up the vast majority of first-dose vaccinations so far, with nearly 700. The next largest group is Black, non-Hispanic people with more than 300 vaccinations.
Almost all queer and trans men are eligible for the vaccine. Here is the full list of who is covered.
- People who have been exposed to a confirmed positive case of MPX
- Gay, bisexual, transgender, gender fluid or gender nonbinary people who have sex with men
- Anyone taking PrEP, the HIV prevention treatment
The state health department has focused on giving the vaccine to these groups because they have made up the vast majority of MPX cases so far. However, anyone can be infected with the vaccine, not only LGBTQ+ people.
“We continue to work to control the spread of this disease and a critical element of that is getting as many people as possible vaccinated among those who are at higher risk of exposure,” state epidemiologist Linda Bell said in a statement earlier this month. “If we can stop spread in the higher risk groups, then we can stop it for everyone.”
Anyone with concerns about MPX or who would like to make an appointment to get a vaccine can call the state’s care line at (855) 472-3432 or go online and use the DHEC Web Chat.
This story was originally published September 23, 2022 at 4:21 PM.
