The U.S. will soon significantly expand its monkeypox vaccination program. On Tuesday evening, the Biden administration announced that it plans to release to the public a reserve of more than a million doses of vaccines by the end of the fall. Vaccines will be given primarily to close contacts of confirmed cases and others with a higher risk of exposure, such as gay and bisexual men who have had multiple recent sexual partners in areas where the emerging disease has been detected.
The updated strategy announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday will call for a gradual deployment of the country’s JYNNEOS vaccine supply. In the coming weeks about 300,000 doses will be distributed nationwide, including 56,000 doses immediately. An additional 750,000 doses will be made available during the summer. And up to 500,000 doses should be released later in the year, assuming they pass the inspection process. In total, about 1.6 million doses of the two-dose vaccine are expected to be available through the reserve this year.
Vaccines were available so quickly because the monkeypox virus is closely related to the now extinct smallpox virus, which was eradicated through a global mass vaccination campaign in 1980. Countries have still maintained a stockpile of smallpox vaccines to date, however, in part. because there is always the small possibility that the virus may be resurrected as a biological weapon agent. And these vaccines are also believed to be effective against closely related viruses such as monkeypox. In fact, smallpox vaccines do not contain the virus itself, but another related virus called vaccinia.
The U.S. also has a much larger stock of the ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine available, and HHS has said it will release doses to jurisdictions that request it. But the ACAM2000 vaccine has more significant side effects than JYNNEOS, making it less suitable for mass distribution, the agency said. In 2019, JYNNEOS became the first vaccine in the United States approved for both smallpox and monkeypox. It is estimated to be 85% effective against monkeypox, but this estimate is based on limited real-world data. The vaccine can also be given to people shortly after a suspected exposure, which should reduce the risk of disease.
In announcing the expanded deployment of its reservation, the US is following in the footsteps of other countries such as the UK. Like these countries, the US will allocate doses as a matter of priority, based on the risk of human exposure. At the head will be people who are known to be in close and prolonged contact with confirmed or suspicious cases, followed by those whose sexual partners have been diagnosed with monkeypox and, finally, “men who have sex with men who they have recently had multiple sexual partners in a place where smallpox was known to be present or in an area where smallpox is spreading. ” Within these levels, considerations such as a person’s existing health will also be taken into account.
“Our goal right now is to ensure that the limited supply of JYNNEOS vaccine is rolled out to those who can benefit most immediately, as we continue to guarantee additional doses of vaccine,” said the Deputy Secretary of Preparedness and Response. HHS, Dawn O’Connell. in a statement.
Smallpox is believed to infect mainly rodents. Until recently, it had only occasionally spread from animals to humans after its discovery in the 1950s. But this year there have been more than 4,000 confirmed or suspected cases reported worldwide in humans, including more than 300 in the United States, which is a case load far above the sporadic outbreaks seen previously in some parts of Africa. Although it may have been circulating in humans at low levels for several years, its current spread appears to be fueled by close contact during sex. So far, the outbreaks have mainly involved men sleeping with men, but the virus can be spread to anyone through close contact with someone’s infected rashes and possibly respiratory particles.
Last weekend, the World Health Organization refused to declare a public health emergency of international concern for the monkeypox for the time being, although they continued to stress that greater international cooperation and action will be needed to contain the virus before it can become permanently endemic in more. parts of the world.