On August 4, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra declared the ongoing spread of monkeypox virus in the United States a Public Health Emergency (PHE).
HHS is allocating JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine to meet the needs of at-risk individuals and prioritize the hardest-hit jurisdictions, which have high case burden and transmission rates. HHS also is making a small quantity of doses available to federal entities. Jurisdictions also may request shipments of ACAM2000 vaccine, which is in much greater supply, but is not recommended for everyone.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on August 9 it is granting Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the JYNNEOS vaccine to be administered intradermally. Because intradermal administration requires a smaller dose, this change allows the number of available doses to increase by as much as five-fold while continuing to ensure the vaccine meets high standards for safety and quality.
CDC is releasing interim clinical guidance and a Dear Colleague Letter from FDA to public health officials, and will be hosting trainings and webinars to support the transition to intradermal administration.
Guidance and Resources
- Updated CDC Monkeypox Vaccination Operational Planning Guide: CDC’s Monkeypox Vaccination Operational Panning Guide includes guidance and information on vaccines, vaccination strategies, health equity considerations, distribution of vaccines, ordering vaccines, delivery locations, and a readiness checklist.
- CDC has published a series of Health Alert Network updates to highlight emerging issues in the monkeypox response for healthcare providers.
- CDC’s Interim Guidance for Prevention and Treatment of Monkeypox in Persons with HIV Infection
- COCA Call: Monkeypox: Updates about Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment
- JYNNEOS Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine: Storage and Handling Summary
- Reducing Stigma in Monkeypox Communication and Community Engagement
- FDA monkeypox response webpage
- CDC’s Monkeypox homepage
- CDC’s Monkeypox what’s new & what’s updated webpage
