According to a statement released Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the monkeypox vaccine is quite effective. It can protect up to two weeks after the initial dosage.
According to preliminary research published by the organization, between July 31 and September 3, unvaccinated individuals had a 14-fold higher chance of contracting monkeypox illness than those who had had vaccinations at least 14 days following their first dose.
The findings were generated based on verified cases from 32 different jurisdictions around the nation. The latest outbreak, which started in May of this year and has predominantly impacted males who have sex with men, has resulted in more than 25,000 cases in the US.
The CDC’s Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a briefing that “these new results give us a degree of cautious hope that the vaccine is performing as planned.”
Despite these encouraging findings, she continued, “we highly advise people to have two doses of the Jynneos vaccine spaced out 28 days apart to achieve durable, permanent immune protection against monkeypox.”
Despite being authorized, the Jynneos vaccine against monkeypox still lacks a verified effectiveness estimate since earlier research only examined animals and analyzed human immune response data.
Monkeypox has been found in more than 66,000 people worldwide, although the number of new cases has declined since August.
The Jynneos vaccine has been given out in the US in more than 680,000 doses, with a particular emphasis on homosexual and bisexual males and transgender and gender nonconforming individuals.
Demetre Daskalakis, the deputy coordinator for the White House’s response to the monkeypox outbreak, said the rollout plan was entering a new stage in which the vaccine will be distributed to individuals before a known exposure after it.
He states, “this new approach implies that more individuals who may be at present-day or foreseeable risk for monkeypox now qualify for the vaccination.”
He noted that new advice would let medical professionals deliver the vaccination in less prominent locations, such as the shoulder or upper back, to lessen stigma.
