The White House is increasing its response to the monkeypox outbreak, expanding access to vaccines to more people at risk, officials said in a press call. More than 56,000 doses of the JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine vaccine will be available immediately and more than 240,000 doses will be allocated in the coming weeks.
“The administration’s current strategy is to contain the outbreak by providing vaccines to those who need it most to prevent further spread of monkeypox to the hardest-hit communities,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. MD, MPH, at a press conference on June 28th. “As an additional supply becomes available, we will further expand our efforts to make vaccines available to a wider population.”
As of June 28, there are 4,700 detected cases of monkeypox worldwide in 49 countries. Since the first U.S. case of monkeypox was identified on May 17, there have been 306 confirmed cases in 28 jurisdictions.
Prior to this announcement, monkeypox vaccination was only recommended for people with known exposure to the virus. The vaccine is now available to people who are likely to be exposed to the virus, such as:
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People who have had close physical contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox
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People with sexual partner diagnosed with monkeypox
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Men who have sex with men who have had multiple sexual partners in a place where monkeypox was identified
The JYNNEOS vaccine is given in two doses, 28 days apart. People will have maximum immunity 2 weeks after the second dose. People should be vaccinated within two weeks of a possible exposure to monkeypox, Walensky said, adding, “The sooner you can get vaccinated after exposure, the better.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will immediately allocate the 56,000 doses of JYNNEOS nationwide, prioritizing jurisdictions in high-transmission areas. A second vaccine, ACAM2000, may also be requested, but it has an increased risk of serious side effects and is not suitable for people who are immunocompromised or have heart disease. In the coming weeks, 240,000 doses of JYNNEOS will be available for the second and first doses “as the vaccine strategy expands,” said David Boucher, director of Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, HHS . There are currently 800,000 doses of JYNNEOS that have been manufactured and approved for release, he said, pending an inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which should be complete in early July.
At the same time, the administration is also focusing on increasing access to evidence. Monkeypox testing is now available at 78 state public health labs in 48 states that can collectively perform 10,000 tests per week. In addition, the administration announced on June 23 that HHS has begun sending monkeypox testing to five commercial lab companies to expand testing capacity and make testing more accessible.
“We continue to work very closely with the community and with public health partners and doctors to raise awareness about the monkeypox outbreak and to facilitate adequate capacity and equitable access to testing,” Walensky said. “I strongly encourage all health care providers to have a high clinical suspicion of monkeypox among their patients. Patients who present with a suspicious rash should be tested.”
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