The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine.
Healthcare providers will be allowed to use the vaccine for intradermal injection for those 18-years-old and older who are determined to be at heightened risk of contracting monkeypox.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said of vaccine supply, “In recent weeks the monkeypox virus has continued to spread at a rate that has made it clear our current vaccine supply will not meet the current demand,” he said. “The FDA quickly explored other scientifically appropriate options to facilitate access to the vaccine for all impacted individuals. By increasing the number of available doses, more individuals who want to be vaccinated against monkeypox will now have the opportunity to do so.”
The JYNNEOS vaccine is administered beneath the skin in two doses administered 4 weeks apart. The EUA allows for a fraction of the dose to be administered in two doses four weeks apart, the FDA said.
In June, the White House estimated that it would take at least $7 billion from Congress to fight the spread of monkeypox. Then in August Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that the Biden administration had instructed his agency to "explore every option on the table" to fight the spread of the virus.
