US monkeypox vaccination efforts intensified, with 56,000 doses distributed

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• Jun 29, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

Digital Desk: As part of a significant expansion of the nation's
immunisation programme, US health authorities announced on Tuesday that they
were immediately distributing 56,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine to areas of
high transmission, five times the amount that had previously been given out.

Until recently, the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) only advised giving monkeypox vaccines to people who had been
exposed with certainty.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky stated in a briefing that
"we are now recommending that vaccines be provided to both people with
known monkeypox exposures who are contacted by public health, as well as to
those who've been recently exposed to monkeypox but may not be identified
through case investigations and contact tracing."

at a location where monkeypox was previously reported or in an
area where the disease is now circulating.

During the current outbreak, which started in early May, 4,700
cases have been found worldwide, including 306 non-fatal cases in the United
States, according to Walensky.

In West and Central African nations, monkeypox is a viral
disease that frequently results in fever and rash. It is comparable to smallpox
but less harmful, but it can be dangerous for those with weakened immune
systems. The main method of transmission is close proximity.

The JYNNEOS vaccine, which was initially created to treat
smallpox, has so far been given out nearly 10,000 doses and 300 antiviral
courses, according to David Boucher, an official with the Health and Human
Services department. On Tuesday, the JYNNEOS vaccine will also be given out in
another 56,000 doses.

JYNNEOS is a two dose vaccine that is administered 28 days
apart, with the second dosage having the most impact.

The administration aims to have a total of 1.6 million pills
accessible this year after procuring an additional 240,000 doses in the
upcoming weeks.

The older ACAM2000 vaccine, which is available in significantly
bigger quantities but is not advised for everyone due to serious adverse
effects, can also be ordered by jurisdictions.

The true number of monkeypox cases in the United States is
reportedly far greater than the reported number, and a component of the new
plan is to make testing more widely and easily accessible.

According to an information sheet, the CDC has expanded
testing to 78 sites across 48 states, with "enough capacity to do almost
10,000 tests each week nationwide."