Atlanta Black Pride kicks off inside City Hall with free monkeypox vaccinations

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – Hundreds are flooding into town this weekend for Atlanta Black Satisfaction.

The annual occasion runs from Thursday to Sunday with a slate of leisure, festivals, and dance events.

On Thursday, the weekend kicked off with a welcome reception at Atlanta Metropolis Corridor.

“This evening is electrical, all people is popping out for this Satisfaction reception. Black pleasure is on full show right here in Atlanta,” stated Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.

In gentle of the monkeypox outbreak, Fulton County Well being officers administered monkeypox vaccines inside Metropolis Corridor, concentrating on Black males who’ve intercourse with males.

“Roughly 70-80 % of the people identified with monkeypox in Fulton County are Black males, so clearly this can be a precedence group for us. These massive gatherings allow us to maybe vaccinate massive teams of individuals at one time,” stated Dr. David Holland, Chief Medical Officer for the Fulton County Board of Well being.

Dr. Holland was available Thursday administering vaccinations at Metropolis Corridor.

“It’s essential to get vaccinated they usually’re doing this at Metropolis Corridor. They’re bringing this to the group as a substitute of forcing the group to go to the well being division,” stated Darion Banister, who obtained a monkeypox vaccination.

Atlanta obtained roughly 5,500 doses of the monkeypox vaccine from the White Home particularly allotted for Atlanta Black Satisfaction occasions.

“This weekend goes to be a weekend of enjoyable, expression, and in addition security. We’re ensuring individuals have monkeypox vaccines,” stated Dickens, in an interview on Thursday evening.

Dr. Holland pressured lots of these doses will go to Atlanta guests who might not have entry to a vaccine of their hometown.

“We’re from Greenville, SC and we simply don’t have that many accessible so it’s essential for us to have the chance for us to get it,” stated Tim Gunnels, who obtained vaccinated at Atlanta Metropolis Corridor after touring from Greenville, South Carolina.

Based on the CDC, Georgia has 1418 monkeypox instances. There are solely 5 states which have extra instances.

When you’re in search of a monkeypox vaccination, metro Atlanta is internet hosting a number of occasions by the weekend. A listing of vaccination efforts from the state’s public well being division is out there right here.

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