Category: Monkey Pox Vaccine

The United States has declared a public health emergency for monkeypox, raising awareness of the outbreak hitting more than 70 countries across the world.

The big picture: Two-thirds of Americans said in a survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center that they don't think there's a vaccine for monkeypox or they aren't sure. But there is and here's what you need to know about it.

There are two vaccines that are used to prevent monkeypox infections, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both vaccines are smallpox vaccines, which are believed to be effective at preventing monkeypox.

Worth noting: There is currently a limited supply of the Jynneos vaccine. The United States has been placing orders for the vaccine to handle the growing demand for vaccination, health officials told reporters Thursday.

The Jynneos vaccine includes a live virus that doesn't replicate and is associated with fewer adverse effects, the CDC said.

But ACAM2000 is distributed by multiple punctures, leading to potential scarring. The stainless steel needle is dipped into a reconstituted vaccine a method often used for orthopoxvirus vaccinations, the CDC said.

Several observational studies found the smallpox vaccine is 85% effective in preventing monkeypox, the World Health Organization said.

However, this is based on research from the 1980s based on a monkeypox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Heinz Weidenthaler, vice president of clinical strategy at Bavarian Nordic, which makes the Jynneos vaccine, told MIT Technology Review that animal studies found the vaccine offers 80 to 100% protection against the disease.

Worth noting: The CDC said there is no data available for the effectiveness of the vaccines for the current monkeypox outbreak.

The Jynneos vaccine contains a live weakened virus related to monkeypox and smallpox that does not replicate within the human body, per the CDC. You cannot catch monkeypox or smallpox from the vaccine, New York state health officials said.

The ACAM2000 vaccine contains a live version of the Vaccinia virus that is replicated, allowing your body to develop immunity.

For the Jynneos vaccine, adverse reactions include pain, swelling and redness at the spot of injection, according to the CDC.

The ACAM2000 monkeypox vaccine has similar physical side effects from the shot but comes with a higher risk of adverse effects, including myocarditis and/or pericarditis, the CDC said.

The CDC has limited eligibility for those who want a monkeypox vaccine.

What's next: U.S. health officials said Thursday that nearly 800,000 monkeypox vaccine doses will be made available soon for distribution

Go deeper ... 1 in 5 Americans fear they'll get monkeypox

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Monkeypox vaccination: Who is eligible for the vaccine in the US - Axios

Los Angeles County and the city will open a monkeypox vaccination site at Barnsdall Art Park tomorrow, but it will only offer vaccines to people who pre-registered with the county and have been notified that a shot is available.

The new site at 4800 Hollywood Blvd. in the East Hollywood area is expected to vaccinate about 300 people per day, operating from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, according to county Supervisor Hilda Solis' office.

Monkeypox vaccines remain in short supply, so the site will not be open to walk-in visitors seeking an inoculation. Shots will only be distributed to people who pre-registered and received a text message from the county notifying them that a dose is available.

As the monkeypox outbreak continues, it is critical that we increase accessibility to the vaccine for at-risk communities, Solis said in a statement. With the launch of the monkeypox vaccination site at Barnsdall Park, L.A. County is making it easier for residents in hard-hit communities to get vaccinated. I encourage residents to assess their risk and take steps to protect themselves from monkeypox as we wait for additional doses to Los Angeles County.''

The county declared a local emergency in response to the monkeypox outbreak last week. The state and federal government have also issued such declarations.

According to the county, there were 616 confirmed or presumed cases in the county as of Monday, up from about 500 on Friday. The vast majority of patients are men, with most of them being members of the LGBT community, according to the county.

Monkeypox is generally spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, resulting from infectious rashes and scabs, though respiratory secretions and bodily fluids exchanged during extended physical episodes, such as sexual intercourse, can also lead to transmission, according to the CDC. It can also be transmitted through the sharing of items such as bedding and towels.

Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.

Symptoms include fresh pimples, blisters, rashes, fever and fatigue. There is no specific treatment. People who have been infected with smallpox, or have been vaccinated for it, may have immunity to monkeypox.

According to health officials, the vaccine can prevent infection if given before or shortly after exposure to the virus.

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are at increased risk of contracting the virus, according to the CDC.

The county has been slowly expanding eligibility for the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine, but supplies remain extremely limited.

In Los Angeles County, monkeypox vaccines are available to people confirmed by the Department of Public Health to have had high- or immediate-risk contact with a known monkeypox patient, and to people who attended an event or visited a venue where they was a high risk of exposure to a confirmed case. Those people are generally identified through county contact-tracing efforts, and they will be notified by the county.

Shots are also available for gay and bisexual men and transgender people with a diagnosis of rectal gonorrhea or early syphilis within the past year. Also eligible for the shots are gay or bisexual men or transgender people who are on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxix, or PrEP, or who attended or worked at a commercial sex venue or other venue where they had anonymous sex or sex with

multiple partners -- such as at a sauna, bathhouse or sex club -- in the past 21 days.

Eligibility was expanded last week to include gay or bisexual men or transgender people aged 18 and older who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the past 14 days.

People who believe they fall into any of the criteria can contact their health care provider to see if that provider can administer the vaccine.

Qualified people who do not have a health care provider -- or whose provider does not carry the vaccine -- can either make an appointment at a designated vaccine clinic or visit a walk-in location. Information is available at ph.lacounty.gov/monkeypox. A list of monkeypox vaccine locations is available at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/chs/DPHMonkeypoxSchedule.pdf.

The county last week activated a website -- ph.lacounty.gov/monkeypoxsignup -- where residents can fill out an online form to see if they may be eligible for a shot and pre-register to be added to a waiting list. But due to overwhelming demand and limited vaccine supplies, the pre-registration process was put on hold late last week.

The county last week also opened a monkeypox vaccination site at the West Hollywood Library, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., for people who pre-registered for the vaccine. It will be open by appointment only from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The vaccine is a two-shot regimen, so additional supplies will be reserved to provide second doses to those who received the initial shot.

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Monkeypox Vaccination Site to Open in East Hollywood Tuesday - NBC Southern California

Connecticut rolled out monkeypox testing and vaccination centers this week as cases continued to rise in the state and nationwide. As of Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 39 cases of monkeypox in Connecticut. The state Department of Public Health says shots are available for queer men and transgender adults over the age of 18 who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners within the last 14 days.

Connecticut Public visited Fair Haven Community Health Care (FHCHC) on Tuesday and heard from patients and providers who say theyve been eagerly awaiting doses of the Jynneos vaccine.

As soon as I saw that first clinic pop up, I just really wanted to get an appointment, said Christopher Marsala, a Branford native who now lives in New London. Because its critical to be part of the solution. Just knowing that it's affecting [...] men who were having sex with men. [...] And being able to have empowered agency with health care, that makes me feel really great.

Efforts to distribute preventive doses of the vaccine are focused on queer men and transgender adults, health officials say, because transmission for this outbreak so far has been concentrated among this population. But all people are at risk of contracting the virus, through any physical contact with anyone who has monkeypox lesions on their skin or by coming into contact with items like bedsheets that symptomatic people have touched.

Ryan Caron King

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Connecticut Public

Theres nothing that makes one community more likely to get it than any other, said Jennifer Suski, medical director of the LGBTQ+ care program at FHCHC. It just happens to be where weve seen the outbreak so far. But really, this is a disease that can affect anybody.

Testing is available for anybody who believes they may have been exposed to the virus.

You can get the vaccine within four days of a known exposure, and that can help prevent the virus as well, Suski said.

Practitioners at the clinic said there has been significant demand for the vaccine.

The response was tremendous, so weve had to get more vaccine to accommodate everybody, said Wendy Cusick, program director of LGBTQ+ care at FHCHC. We did get more vaccine promised [Tuesday], another 50 doses. But we could probably use that up this week. So hopefully there will be more coming to the state.

Connecticut public health officials pleaded for the federal government to fast-track vaccine production earlier this week.

For more information about monkeypox, testing and vaccinations, visit the Connecticut Department of Health monkeypox webpage.

This post has been updated to reflect the number of days vaccines are available for eligible candidates with known exposures.

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Monkeypox vaccine supply is limited, but this clinic is helping eligible residents - Connecticut Public

Monkeypox in Erie: Denise Johnson, M.D., PA secretary of health

Denise Johnson, M.D., Pennsylvania's physician general and acting secretary of health, talks about monkeypox during a visit to Erie on July 14.

David Bruce, Erie Times-News

Erie County residents at high risk of getting monkeypox, but haven't been exposed to the virus, could soon be eligible for vaccines.

The Erie County Department of Health will receive 80 more doses of JYNNEOS vaccine later this week or early next week, said Erin Mrenak, director of the county health department. It received an initial batch of 40 doses about two weeks ago.

More: Monkeypox vaccine available at Erie County Department of Health

"As our capacity increases, we will be able to expand vaccinations to other eligible groups or conduct pre-exposure vaccinations," Mrenak said. "We will follow state health department guidelines."

Vaccinations currently are limited mostly to people who have been in close contact with those diagnosed with the viral illness. Only one confirmed case of monkeypox has been found in the county.

More: Monkeypox arrives in Erie, public health threat less because spread is slower

A monkeypox outbreak has been spreading around the world since it was first detected earlier this year. The virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact, which can include hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as through the sharing of bedding, towels and clothing.

People getting sick so far have mainly been men who have sex with men, though the virus can infect anyone, Mrenak said.

More: Monkeypox is spreading through sex, but it's not an STD. Why calling it one is a problem.

"Monkeypox is not an STD, though it can be spread through sexual practice," Mrenak said. "It can be spread through respiratory droplets, exposure to open sores or sharing certain objects."

More: After repeating early COVID mistakes, US now has the worlds biggest monkeypox outbreak

One problem with containing the monkeypox outbreak is a lack of free testing. Though testing is available at many local clinics and physician offices, Mrenak said free testing is not yet available.

"It's a concern because of the number of people who don't have a primary-care physician or don't have health insurance," Mrenak said. "We are working on coming up with solutions for that."

The primary symptom of monkeypox is a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus,according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. A person can also develop flu-like symptoms like a fever, headache and chills.

More: Addressing myths about monkeypox: A look at symptoms, treatment and other common questions

Most people who develop monkeypox recover completely within a month, local health officials have said. The mortality rate is 1% to 3%.

If you think you have been exposed to monkeypox or have the virus, contact your doctor or call the county health department at 814-451-6700.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact David Bruce atdbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter@ETNBruce.

Continued here:

Erie to receive more monkeypox vaccine to fight worldwide outbreak - GoErie.com

This week, the state ordered more than 5,000 more doses. It's already received more than 9,600 doses from the federal government.

DENVER Alex Buck first starting looking for a monkeypox vaccine weeks ago.

Ive been trying to get one for a while, he said.

I remember back in early July, there were [very few] in Colorado and a friend mentioned they got one, I looked into it and it was still too late.

He kept searching, and finally secured an appointment this week.

I've been kind of Googling it every few days, like, Do we have more? Can I get more? And I just kind of stumbled onto the Jefferson County Public Health website and they had a phone number you can call to say Call us for monkeypox vax appointments. I called, they asked a few questions, and got me in today. So it worked out really well.

Buck said the shot was pretty easy, especially compared to getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

No symptoms yet, Im waiting with bated breath, he said.

It was a small needle, in the underarm, it was actually really quick and painless, which I was very grateful for.

Monkeypox can affect anyone.

During this current outbreak, most cases have been among men who have sex with men. That population, or anyone who is a close contact to a positive case, are the only ones eligible for the very limited vaccine supply.

Alex shared a photo of himself after his vaccine on social media, hoping to encourage other members of his LGBTQ community to consider getting vaccinated, too.

I felt like I needed to get it because I am in the pool that is eligible, and I want to make sure I can live my life without a.) being worried about it and b.) knowing that Im safe from it, and any partners I have are safe from it, he said.

I felt that responsibility for it, that I'm being responsible for my health and others.

On Thursday, the Biden Administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency in the United States. Cases have topped 6,600 nationwide. Colorado reports a total of 79 cases.

In an email Thursday, state leaders said Colorado had already received 9,665 doses from the federal government. Those doses represent vaccines already administered, scheduled to be administered, or in the process of redistribution to other providers.

The state placed its latest order with the feds for another 5,080 doses on Aug. 1.

For me and a lot of my friends, were tired, Buck said with a brief laugh. Its hard to have to deal with COVID, thats around, it hasnt gone anywhere. Theres just so many layers to it. With COVID I was really excited about the vaccine Im happy to get the monkeypox vaccine but Im a lot more like, sigh. More drama.

For others who may be eligible for the vaccine and considering it, Buck offers this:

Keep an eye out on good information. You do have to do some of your own research, at least that I found. But it's worth it, it was really easy. Anything we can do to keep people safe and keep ourselves healthy is worth it in my opinion.

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What it's like to get the monkeypox vaccine in Colorado - 9News.com KUSA

As monkeypox numbers continue to climb, many of us are wondering how to respond to the outbreak and be prepared in case of infection.

So, who is most at risk? People who have numerous sexual partners are most likely to become infected. As of now, the virus has mostly affected men who have sex with men, but monkeypox can spread to anyone who has direct or intimate contact with someone infected.

There are two vaccines available in the U.S. These include:

The preferred vaccine is Jynneos (imvamune, imvanex), which is live but non-replicating, so it cannot cause infection and is safe to use in immunocompromised people and during pregnancy, Dr. Geoffrey Rutledge, Chief Medical Officer and Founder of HealthTap, explains. Unfortunately, this vaccine is in short supply. Its use and eligibility for getting it are determined in each region by the local public health authority.

This is a live virus vaccine that causes a very mild infection that prevents monkeypox. It is not recommended for people who are pregnant or who have weakened immune systems. After vaccination, the person may be able to transmit the vaccine virus to others, including to pregnant women or those who have weakened immune systems, says Dr. Rutledge.

Related: What Is Monkeypox, and How Worried Should We Be? Here's What Doctors Say

To schedule an appointment for the vaccine, you can contact your local or state health department. However, distribution is limited at this time. To be eligible for the vaccine you must meet the following criteria:

People who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox

People who may have been exposed to monkeypox, which includes:

One of your sexual partners in the past two weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox

Having numerous sexual partners in the past two weeks in a location with known monkeypox cases.

The vaccine will be effective even after exposure, so health officials advise getting vaccinated within four days of the date of exposure to reduce the risk of infection.

Story continues

"Vaccination is most important for people with a known exposure to monkeypoxvaccination within four days of exposure will prevent the disease, says Dr. Rutledge. From five days to two weeks after exposure, vaccination will reduce the severity of the illness. Vaccination is also recommended for people who are at high risk of exposure to monkeypoxpeople who have multiple sexual partners, particularly if they are in an area of the country where there are more cases, as well as healthcare workers who may come in contact with monkeypox patients or who are delivering the live attenuated vaccine (ACAM200)."

Next up: Doctors Explain These Are the First Symptoms of Monkeypox to Look Out For

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Do You Need the Monkeypox Vaccine? - Yahoo Life

Health officials around the world are racing to curb an outbreak of monkeypox cases that has swelled into the thousands, deploying both vaccines and treatments to fight a disease that can lead to weeks of painful rashes and lesions for those infected. On Aug. 4, the Biden administrationdeclared a public health emergencyto help ramp up the federal response.

Some citiesfacing outbreaks have now declared emergencies to battle the virus, as well as the states of New York, Illinoisand California.

The White House announced on Aug. 2that it's tapping two officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate the "whole-of-government response" to the outbreak.

While monkeypox infections have been seen before in the U.S. in two travelers from Nigeria last year and in 47 cases that were linked to imported animals back in 2003 the current outbreak is by far the largest recorded in American history and is expected to continue to grow.

Here's what's known about the monkeypox outbreak and response:

Over 7,100 cases were tallied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention across all but two states Montana and Wyoming as of Aug. 4.

New York is the state with the largest total number of reported cases, making up close to a quarter of the nation's overall tally.

Officials say the "vast majority" of cases in the current outbreak have spread among men who have sex with men so far, generally through skin-to-skin intimate contact or by sharing contaminated towels and bedding.

A handful of cases have also been reported in young children and pregnant women, who are believed to be at higher risk of severe outcomes from the disease.

However, the CDC says it has demographic data only a fraction of reported cases. Unlike its counterparts abroad in places like the United Kingdom and Europe, the agency must rely on details collected and reported "voluntarily" to the agency by local health departments.

As of Aug. 1, no deaths have been reported in the outbreak so far in the U.S. among the thousands who have been infected by monkeypox. A handful of deaths have been reported abroad, including in Africa, South America, and Europe.

Compared to its more lethal cousin smallpox, officials have said that cases often resolve after a few weeks without additional treatment. The variant linked to the current outbreak has been spreading in Nigeria since 2017, where around 3% of the people who contracted monkeypox died.

After an incubation period, which the CDC estimates is a little longer than a week on average, between exposure to an infected person and the first noticeable signs of the infection, patients generally must endure painful lesions as well as other symptoms like fever and swollen lymph nodes until their rashes scab over and heal. Like other poxviruses, monkeypox can leave scars.

However, authorities have been careful not to downplay the danger monkeypox's complications might pose beyond its physical pain.

For example, in the United Kingdom, authorities reported that some hospitalized patients faced "severe swelling" that might strangle circulation to the penis. In Spain, some patients were hospitalized due to bacterial infections of their sores.

The CDC says that the patients who are at "especially increased risk" for severe monkeypox disease include:

The agency also says that people living with HIV who have caught monkeypox during the current outbreak are not getting a more severe disease, as long as they are on treatment that is suppressing HIV.

Monkeypox cases to date in the U.S. have been diagnosed using CDC's lab test, which can tell whether someone is infected by an orthopoxvirus the family of bugs that includes both monkeypox and others like smallpox.

Those tests rely on doctors "vigorously" swabbing suspected lesions for samples that can be sent off to their state's public health labs that have launched the agency's test, as well as a growing number of commercial laboratories.

Some labs have also raced to develop their own tests for suspected monkeypox cases, including via saliva or blood samples, though the Food and Drug Administration currently warns these methods "may lead to false test results."

"We are actively doing studies to evaluate what other kinds of tests could be available, whether they are saliva tests, throat swabs, blood tests, but right now, we don't have the data to recommend using tests of those kinds," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters on July 15.

The Biden administration has deployed two vaccines, originally stockpiled by the country to prepare for a potential smallpox emergency, known as Jynneos and ACAM2000.

Both rely on versions of less-deadly relatives of smallpox to immunize their recipients. But unlike ACAM2000, Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos vaccine which was approved by the FDA in 2019 to specifically combat monkeypox as well carries far fewer risks because it relies on a version of the virus modified to prevent it from replicating and reduce its severity.

Before the current outbreak, the U.S. had contracted Bavarian Nordic to manufacture "bulk vaccine" worth some 13 million doses of the company's Jynneos shots. The administration has now ordered some 7 million doses of that vaccine to be filled into vials and shipped to them from Bavarian Nordic through mid-2023.

For now, federal officials have acknowledged that demand for the Jynneos far outstrips supply for the shots. Doses are being rationed for vaccinated either known close contacts of cases or others "presumed" to be at risk of having come into contact with a case, like having multiple recent sexual partners in a jurisdiction facing an outbreak.

Some jurisdictions have announced plans to try and stretch their supply relying on only offering one dose for now of the two-shot vaccine, despite the FDA discouraging the move.

More than 736,000 additional doses were made available for states on July 29, after an FDA inspection cleared use of a tranche of vaccine that had already been filled into vials from Bavarian Nordic.

Further waves of vaccinations will need to wait for doses the Biden administration ordered filled into vials back in June, which the company says it expects will be delivered by the end of the year.

The company also says it has supplied "nearly 30 million doses" of vaccine in the past, which have now expired. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said on August 2 in a statement that it was working with Bavarian Nordic to test those doses to see if they can be salvaged, but acknowledged it was "highly unlikely that these doses remain viable."

Children are not currently FDA approved to be vaccinated with Jynneos, although CDC officials disclosed earlier this year to a panel of its outside vaccine advisers that at least one pediatric patient had been offered a shot. Agency officials and local health systems have since confirmed other children who were close contacts of monkeypox cases have also been offered shots.

Spokespeople for the FDA and CDC have declined to confirm how many requests have been granted for the use of the vaccine in children.

A spokesperson for Bavarian Nordic declined to offer details about whether it planned to trial the vaccine in children, but did say it planned to collect data on CDC's use of the shots.

While people in the current outbreak are now being vaccinated with vaccines initially designed to combat smallpox, like ACAM200 or Jynneos, officials have cautioned that Americans who were vaccinated for smallpox decades ago are unlikely to be protected from a monkeypox infection.

Though the U.S. stopped routine mass vaccination against smallpox in 1972, the CDC still recommends that scientists who are at risk of exposure because they work with orthopoxviruses including monkeypox in the lab get revaccinated every three years.

In the current outbreak, the CDC says some cases had been vaccinated against smallpox "decades prior." And in the 2003 outbreak, CDC researchers did not find evidence that previous smallpox vaccination among those infected reduced the odds of patients facing severe disease or being hospitalized.

"We do expect that people who have received the vaccine, even as children, will have some remaining immunity. But that is something that we're very interested in looking at, closely monitoring during this outbreak, to really define exactly how long that protection lasts and how much benefit people who have received vaccination many decades prior may still receive," said the CDC's Brett Petersen said on June 30, in a webinar with clinicians.

While many monkeypox cases eventually resolve without medications, aside from pain relievers, the Biden administration has allowed doctors to request stockpiled coursesof several treatments that have been developed in the past for smallpox.

The most commonly requested of those drugs is the antiviral tecovirimator TPOXX, which was developed out of federal research launched in 2002 to head off a potential bioterrorism attack. The FDA approved tecovirimat in 2018 to treat smallpox cases. However, that approval was in large part actually based on studies in animals infected with monkeypox and rabbitpox, with the regulator deeming it "not feasible or ethical to conduct efficacy trials in humans" for smallpox.

Doctors looking to get courses of tecovirimat for their monkeypox patients must request them from the CDC under an "expanded access" protocol, which it recently worked with the FDA to streamline.

The agency says that use of the drug is being considered for people with severe disease, or who have an additional risk factor such as a compromised immune system or lesions in a part of the body that "might constitute a special hazard" like on the genitals.

While health officials expect the number of monkeypox cases to continue to climb through at least August, authorities say they still hope to control the current outbreak.

"There is community spread occurring. And while public health officials are working around the clock to contain the outbreak, it's important to say that I think we expect that these numbers will continue to increase," the CDC's Jennifer McQuiston told a webinar hosted by the American Medical Association on July 14.

However, with more than 13,000 cases in the outbreak around the world as of July 18, some experts are skeptical public health authorities will be able to stem the spread of the virus.

"I think at this point, we've failed to contain this. We're now at the cusp of this becoming an endemic virus, where this now becomes something that's persistent that we need to continue to deal with," former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told "Face the Nation" on July 17.

"This has spread more broadly in the community. I wouldn't be surprised if there's thousands of cases right now," Gottlieb added later.

CBS News reporter covering public health and the pandemic.

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Monkeypox: What we know about the outbreak, vaccinations and treatments - CBS News

The vaccine rollout for monkeypox is expanding, meaning that more people can be eligible to receive a vaccine for monkeypox.

However, there are still eligibility limits as to who can get a vaccine. Heres what you need to know.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines published by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), New Jersey residents are eligible to receive monkeypox vaccinations, if they:

For now, it is up to state and local health departments to distribute the monkeypox vaccines to the public.

Currently, you can get monkeypox vaccines in New Jersey and other states by contacting your nearest health department, which will most likely be at the city or county level.

Gov. Phil Murphy recently announced two monkeypox vaccination sites in Bergen and Camden counties, in addition to three sites in Newark, Asbury Park and Jersey City.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.

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Monkeypox vaccines: Who is eligible for one in N.J.? Heres what you need to know - NJ.com

ANDERSON The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) is now offering the monkeypox vaccine to those that have been exposed to the illness or are at high-risk for exposure or severe illness. Hoosiers that are eligible can receive the JYNNEOS vaccine, which contains a live virus that does not replicate efficiently in human cells and is administered in two subcutaneous doses 28 days apart, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.

As of Tuesday, the CDC reported 58 confirmed cases in Indiana. IDOH is only distributing the vaccine for both Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) because a minimal amount of doses have been allocated to the state, according to its website.

PEP vaccines must be administered within four days of exposure to prevent the onset of monkeypox, and those who receive it 4 to 14 days after exposure may reduce symptoms but may not prevent illness. IDOH will expand vaccine eligibility to high risk groups once more vaccines have been allocated.

IDOH is currently reporting cases on a statewide basis and not by county in order to protect the identity of those that have contracted the illness, Madison County Health Department administrator Stephanie Mellinger said. The county health department has been assisting with case investigations in several counties, as well as implementing a plan that includes communicating with hospitals and clinics to help those in the county that may have been exposed or contracted monkeypox.

The state health department has passed down guidelines, and weve been sharing them and discussing them with all of our healthcare partners, Mellinger said. We have been in contact this entire time and making sure that we all understand that if we need to refer someone to get tested somewhere, that we alert that agency ahead of time, so that there isnt any further contamination.

The vaccine doses that have been received by the county health department last week are not issued for use by the general public and are only offered to those at high risk for transmission from a known case, Mellinger said. The federal government is currently working on making more doses available.

I dont know how quickly those extra doses will come. I dont know what that will look like, Mellinger said. If we can contain the virus prior to needing a situation where its available to the general public or necessary, its my hope that we can get on top of it before it gets to that point.

Anyone can contract monkeypox regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, but current trends show that many of those affected in the outbreak are men who have sex with other men, as well as those living with HIV, according to the CDC website. CEO and President of the Damien Center Alan Witchey thinks those groups are more affected by the virus because a predomanance of gay men who are living with HIV and compromised immune systems are more likely to contract the illness.

The Damien Center is currently offering vaccination for men that engage in sexual activity with other men and people living with HIV, but may expand to people that are using PrEP prevention strategies for HIV. And while monkeypox can be spread through sexual activity because of skin-to-skin contact, Witchey said it is important to differentiate that it is not a sexually transmitted disease.

People can give it to their kids, they can give it to their roommates, they can give it to their family members, Witchey said. At this time, if you think youve been exposed, you definitely want to be careful. If youre engaging in ongoing behaviors where youre having skin to skin contact with somebody, you probably want to consider getting vaccinated.

For those that are concerned about contracting monkeypox, Mellinger said the most important way to prevent the illness is to wash your hands. The main symptom of the disease is a rash that looks like pimples or blisters that can appear on the face and other parts of the body, including inside the mouth.

Be mindful of any sores that may look like that. If anyone has any sores that look like that, please go to a health care provider to be tested, Mellinger said. If you happen to see anyone or know anyone who has sores like that, wash your hands, avoid contact with those sores.

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Monkeypox vaccine available to those that may be at risk - The Herald Bulletin

As cases reach 10,000 in the Region, Member States hold Special Session of the PAHO Directing Council to discuss best use of limited global vaccine supplies.

Washington D.C. 5 August 2022 (PAHO) As monkeypox cases continue to rise in several countries of the Americas, Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today held a Special Session of the Directing Council to consider a Resolution to address the outbreak, including supporting equitable access to vaccines for at-risk populations in the region.

On 23 July 2022, the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak, which began in mid-May and has affected 89 countries across all six WHO regions, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Over 10,000 monkeypox infections have been reported by 24 countries of the Americas since the start of the outbreak. This accounts for 38% of global cases.

The PHEIC declaration came with detailed recommendations for both countries and territories who havent detected any cases as well as for those who already have imported cases or transmission in their communities, said PAHO Director, Carissa Etienne.

We believe that when the recommended measures are appropriately implemented, we can stop transmission of the monkeypox virus.

These recommendations, which PAHO is working with Member States to implement, include communication and engagement with affected communities, early detection and surveillance, treatment and isolation of patients, and contact tracing.

However, post- or pre-exposure vaccination might need to complement the other measures, the Director added.

During the session, Dr. Etienne noted that there is currently only one third-generation vaccine for monkeypox, which is produced by just one manufacturer.

While supplies of this vaccine are extremely limited, PAHO has engaged in early negotiations with its manufacturer.

In light of this, the Resolution adopted requests PAHOs Director to facilitate a coordinated response and take steps to support Member States in obtaining access to this vaccine through the PAHO Revolving Fund. It also requests that countries of the Region of the Americas continue to recognize PAHO and its Revolving Fund as the strategic regional technical mechanism most suitable for providing equitable access to this vaccine and others.

The recommendations of PAHOs Technical Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, as well as those of the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), stipulate that countries should prioritize vaccines for specific groups, such as close contacts of a confirmed monkeypox case, in order to maximize impact considering the limited vaccine supply.

Monkeypox diseaseMonkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms include fever, intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle ache, and a rash that blisters and crusts. The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The mouth, genitals, and eyes may also be affected.

The symptoms can be mild or severe, and generally last for several weeks during which time a person can be infectious to others. Most people recover within a few weeks without treatment.

Monkeypox disease is reported regularly in nine countries of Central and West Africa since it was first recognized in 1958 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, since mid-May 2022, an increasing number of monkeypox cases have been reported first in multiple countries in Europe and later in other regions, including the Americas.

As of 5 August 2022, 37,360 probable and laboratory-confirmed cases were reported to the WHO from 89 countries across all six WHO regions.

Note to journalists: With updated number of cases as of 7:30 pm EDT, August 5.

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Countries approve resolution to support access to monkeypox vaccine in the Americas - World - ReliefWeb