The United States is responding to a request for the release of monkeypox vaccine from the nation’s Strategic National Stockpile as a global outbreak of cases is under investigation.
On Monday, the CDC reported that there has been one confirmed and four suspected cases of monkeypox in the US.
“I can report that there has been a request for release of the Jynneos vaccine from the National Stockpile for some of the high-risk contacts of some of the early patients, so that is actively happening right now,” Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology within the CDC’s National Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
McQuiston said the United States has a “good stock” of vaccine because it has been preparing for the possibility of needing to use doses for smallpox.
In the United States, the two-dose Jynneos vaccine is licensed to prevent smallpox and specifically to prevent monkeypox.
“Right now, we have over 1,000 doses of that available, and we expect that level to ramp up very quickly in the coming weeks as the company provides more doses to us,” McQuiston said.
There is another smallpox vaccine licensed in the United States, ACAM2000, that could be used to prevent monkeypox, she said, and the country has more than 100 million doses.
“ACAM2000 is an older-generation smallpox vaccine that has some potential significant side effects with it. So a decision to use that widely would have to have some serious discussion behind it,” McQuiston said.
Overall, “we are hoping to maximize vaccine distribution to those that we know would benefit from it,” she said. “Those are people who’ve had contact with a known monkeypox patients, health care workers, very close personal contact, and those in particular who might be at high risk for severe disease.”
In Kenya, the Ministry of Health has enhanced surveillance after no cases of monkeypox have been recorded.
Speaking in Kisii, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache stated that Kenya and the East African region have put in place robust and appropriate response mechanisms.
“Neither Kenya nor our sister countries in the region have registered any case. Even then, we have done all that is required already to stem possible spread in the country,” said Mochache.
