The Biden administration says it's giving states twice as many doses of monkeypox vaccine than previously anticipated.
Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it is making 442,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine available to combat the monkeypox outbreak.
About half of those doses were scheduled to go out later in August, according to HHS. However, the department says it was able to provide the additional doses earlier because the Food and Drug Administration revised its dosing guidelines.
The new guidelines allow for the vaccine to be injected intradermally (in the upper skin layer), as opposed to subcutaneously (underneath the skin layer). The new method saves on the amount of vaccine needed by up to five-fold, according to HHS.
“Since the first case of monkeypox was reported, we have been working with state and local public health partners to contain the outbreak,” said CDC director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky. “And since FDA’s decision last week to authorize intradermal injection of the JYNNEOS vaccine, the CDC has conducted extensive outreach and engagement with clinicians across the country and released multiple resources to ensure they can effectively administer the vaccine."
Anyone can get monkeypox. It is spread through close contact and intimate contact, according to the CDC.
