Several thousand people across Wisconsin have been vaccinated against monkeypox, and the spread of the infectious disease is slowing.
But state data shows racial disparities are lingering, with the outbreak most affecting Black and Hispanic men.
Since Wisconsin’s first case was detected in late June, the state has had 85 cases so far, with cases peaking in early August. About half have been in Milwaukee County.
Racial disparities have emerged in data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, both in terms of who’s been affected by the disease and who’s gotten vaccinated.
That wasn’t a surprise to health officials.
“We knew that early on—coming into the monkeypox outbreak—that we were going to see disparities based on race,” said Kirsten Johnson, Milwaukee’s commissioner of health.
According to a recent report, last updated Sept. 26, people of color make up 45% of the infected, but only a quarter of the people vaccinated so far. Three-quarters of the vaccines have been administered to white people.
Black Wisconsinites represent 40% of the cases, while they account for about 7% of the state. And 11% of the cases were reported in people who identify as Hispanic or Latino, while they account for 7.5% of the state.
It’s a trend playing out across the country, influenced by obstacles to access or mistrust in the healthcare system — the product of earlier experiences with racism or neglect.
Johnson said the city was proactive about connecting with people who were at risk.
“After we had our first case, we reached out and were quite deliberate in connecting with our community partners in a collective effort to ensure people had access to testing, and then making sure they were connected to the highest-risk populations,” she said.
That high-risk group includes men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple partners — though anyone can be affected. The disease is mostly spread through close skin-to-skin contact, often during sex. People who get sick often develop a fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. Many also experience a painful rash that starts as pimple- or blister-like bumps.
The city got in touch with some 30 organizations like Vivent Health and Health Connections, which have a long shared history of serving sex workers, people of color, and LGBTQ+ communities.
That’s a lesson the city took from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson said.
“I think we were more well-prepared in terms of how to connect with community partners,” she said. “We know that we saw significant racial disparities with COVID-19, so we have those connections in the city that we potentially didn’t have previously.”
Health Connections was one of those partners. They provided vaccines and testing, and they were there to answer people’s questions.
A major focus of theirs is HIV treatment and trans healthcare, so they have a strong relationship with the LGBTQ+ community, said Ericka Sinclair, the organization’s CEO and founder.
“Because we already have a relationship with this community, they recognize Health Connections and they can trust us,” said Sinclair, who is also vice president of the city’s board of health.
The vaccine consists of two doses, 28 days apart. As the fight against monkeypox continues, Sinclair and her staff are making sure people don’t miss their second shot.
“The people that didn’t show up, we’re checking them in the Wisconsin immunization registry,” she said. “We’re seeing if they got their vaccine somewhere else, and if they haven’t, then we’re calling them.”
This kind of healthcare takes time. It’s a similar strategy to how Health Connections gave out COVID-19 vaccines: running drives at schools and churches, even going to people’s homes.
“If we’re coming to someone’s home to give them a vaccine, that’s about as barrier-busting as we can get,” Sinclair said.
The goal is to repair trauma and mistrust.
“I feel like that helps people feel like you hear them, that you see them, that you care about them enough to do this,” Sinclair said. “They can start trusting again. We’re trying to get people to trust the healthcare system again.”
Then, the next time people need healthcare, they’ll get the help they need.
Although monkeypox cases are waning, Sinclair encouraged vaccinations for people who think they might be at risk.
Vaccines are available, no appointment necessary, at the Menomonee Valley Drive-Thru Clinic. They are currently available for people who have been exposed to the virus, as well as people who are considered at risk for exposure, such as any men who have sex with men and have recently had, or expect to have, multiple partners. A full list of who is eligible for the vaccine is available on the Department of Health Services website.
If you develop an unexplained rash, you can get tested at several clinics across the city, including Walker’s Point Community Clinic and Sixteenth Street Community Health Center.
Monkeypox and COVID-19 are zoonotic diseases, meaning they spread between humans and animals. As climate change keeps disrupting both human and natural environments, people and wildlife are having closer contact — leading scientists to expect that this kind of disease will become more common.
