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Black and Hispanic people are more likely to get monkeypox but less likely to be vaccinated

The organizers of Atlanta Black Pride, an LGBTQ celebration held each Labor Day weekend, have big plans. There will be parties and performances, workshops and financial literacy classes, brunches and a boat ride. This year also brings an event that no one ever expected would be necessary: a vaccination clinic.

"We actually got a head start, and we started early, even before the festival, with monkeypox vaccinations for people that are here in Atlanta," said Melissa Scott, one of the organizers.

The festival will also offer Covid-19 vaccines on location.

The monkeypox vaccines won't protect people right away, because two doses are needed, but Scott said the festival is the perfect opportunity to reach a large group of people who have been disproportionately affected by the outbreak.

As of Friday, there are nearly 20,000 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The virus is spread through close contact and can infect anyone. But cases in this outbreak have mostly been among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and no one's been hit harder than those who identify as Black or Latino/Hispanic.  

Nearly 38% of monkeypox cases are among Black people, yet they represent only 12% of the US population. Hispanic or Latino people make up 19% of the US population but account for 29% of the cases as of August 27, according to the CDC.