U.S. public health officials said Tuesday they would immediately release 56,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine — five times the number previously distributed — in areas of high transmission as part of a major escalation in the country’s vaccination strategy.
Previously, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only recommended offering monkeypox vaccines that had a confirmed exposure.
“But now we are recommending that vaccines be made available to both people with known exposure to monkeypox who are contacted by public health and people who have recently been exposed to monkeypox, who may not be identified through case investigation and contact tracing. ‘ CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a briefing.
Examples include men who have sex with men (MSM) who have recently had multiple sex partners in a location known to have monkeypox or in an area where monkeypox is prevalent.
Walensky said that during the current outbreak, which began in early May, 4,700 cases have been detected worldwide, including 306 in the United States, all of which have not been fatal.
Monkeypox is a viral disease endemic to West and Central African countries that causes symptoms such as fever and rash. It is similar but less serious than smallpox but can be more risky in immunocompromised people. It is mainly transmitted through close contact.
David Boucher, an official with the Department of Health and Human Services, said the federal government has so far distributed nearly 10,000 doses and 300 antiviral courses and will release another 56,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine originally developed for smallpox on Tuesday.
JYNNEOS is a two-dose vaccine given 28 days apart and has its full effect two weeks after the second dose.
The government is securing a further 240,000 doses in the coming weeks and expects a total of 1.6 million doses to become available this year.
Jurisdictions can also order supplies of the older-generation ACAM2000 vaccine, which is in much greater supply but is not recommended for everyone due to significant side effects.
Observers have said the actual number of monkeypox cases in the United States is likely far higher than the official number, and part of the new strategy is to make testing more widely available and more accessible.
The CDC has now expanded testing to 78 sites in 48 states, “with spare capacity to conduct nearly 10,000 tests per week statewide,” a fact sheet said.
#steps #monkeypox #vaccination #campaign #releasing #doses
