Monkey smallpox vaccination sign is displayed at a vaccination site in Miami Beach, Fla.
Lynne Sladky/AP
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Lynne Sladky/AP
Monkey smallpox vaccination sign is displayed at a vaccination site in Miami Beach, Fla.
Lynne Sladky/AP
When the JYNNEOS vaccine for mpox was released last summer, health officials believed it would be effective. It’s an educated guess, at the height of a public health emergency, based largely on data from animal studies.
Now, after 1.2 million doses have been made available in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has real evidence that the mpox vaccine is working to prevent disease.
Three new studies show that two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine are 66% to 86% effective at preventing mpox disease in people at risk. The study was published Thursday in the journal New England Journal of Medicine and CDC incidence and Weekly Deaths,
“Two doses of the vaccine offer the best protection against mpox,” said Leora Feldstein, an epidemiologist at the CDC. “We strongly recommend that you stay up-to-date on vaccinations during the summer and pride season.”
The new data comes as health officials work to stem a possible summer wave of mpox.
The CDC concerns about mpox’s resurgence is based on a series of cases recently found in Chicago. In the past month, 21 people there have been diagnosed with mpox, according to Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, deputy director of the White House National Chickenpox Response Agency, who spoke at a news conference on Thursday. .
The cluster of cases broke the series of three consecutive months There are almost no cases was found in Chicago. Daily cases remain low across the US. Many people with mpox in Chicago are fully vaccinated; No one had to be hospitalized.
“Even if it doesn’t prevent infection… getting vaccinated reduces the likelihood of getting and spreading the effects, and can reduce the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death,” says Daskalakis. “.
Mpox is a disease that causes rashes and lesions and is mainly spread through sexual contact. Most of the cases in the United States has been detected in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, with multiple partners.
The CDC estimates about 1.7 million people are at high risk for mpox, but so far, only a quarter are fully vaccinated — meaning they have received two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine.
“If you haven’t had the first dose, give it. previous vaccines or have had mpox in the past,” says Daskalakis. “We need to be ready to use all the tools in the prevention toolkit – including vaccines, testing and importantly education – so that people can make informed decisions about their sex lives. sex to stop the spread.”
Daskalakis said that they are work with local health authorities and organizers to provide vaccines and helpful health information at upcoming Pride events. CDC has also created a database of health center provides free mpox vaccine.
Although the US ended its public health emergency for mpox in January, the CDC says recent cases suggest the outbreak is not over and the disease continues to spread. .
