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

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