HHS moves to vaccinate at-risk individuals in current monkeypox outbreak

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) yesterday announced an enhanced nationwide vaccination strategy to mitigate the spread of monkeypox.  The strategy will vaccinate and protect those at-risk of monkeypox, prioritize vaccines for areas with the highest numbers of cases, and provide guidance to state, territorial, tribal, and local health officials to aide their planning and response efforts.

Under the strategy, the HHS is rapidly expanding access to hundreds of thousands of doses of the Jynneos vaccine, marketed by Danish vaccine developer Bavarian Nordic (OMX: BAVA), for prophylactic use against monkeypox in areas with the highest transmission and need, using a tiered allocation system. Jurisdictions can also request shipments of the ACAM2000 vaccine, which is in much greater supply, but due to significant side effects is not recommended for everyone.

1.6 million doses to be made available this year