1,200 Monkeypox Close-Contacts Vaccinated

According to media reporting yesterday, the number of people in eleven U.S. states who have received a monkeypox virus (MPX) preventive vaccine has reached about 1,200.

CNN reported White House senior director for global health security and biodefense (Dr. Raj Panjabi) stated on June 3, 2022, "We want to ensure that people with high-risk exposures have rapid access to vaccines."

“And 100 treatment courses (sent) to eight jurisdictions, and we have more to offer states."

These preventive actions are related to the (28) monkeypox patients the U.S. CDC confirmed on June 3rd. The state of California has confirmed five cases.

The CDC and the World Health Organization have recently endorsed vaccinations for any person who has come in close contact with a confirmed or probable monkeypox case.

Globally, media reporting indicates close to 1,000 individuals (men and women) have been diagnosed with MPX in about thirty-five countries since early May.

The WHO says anyone infected with MPX should be isolated for 21-days. 

In addition, the WHO says any patient suspected with MPX should be isolated during the presumed and known infectious periods.

MPX is a vaccine-preventable disease, says the CDC.

Monkeypox is a rare disease with symptoms similar to but milder than the symptoms of smallpox. Historically, the monkeypox case fatality rate is between 1-3%.

In the USA and most countries, the Jynneos® (MVA-BN, IMVANEX) vaccine is being offered to MPX close contacts. The U.S. FDA licensed it in 2019 to prevent monkeypox and smallpox.

From an MPX infection and prevention perspective, the TPOXX® (tecovirimat, ST-246®) novel small-molecule drug is approved in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Europe to treat monkeypox, cowpox, and complications from immunization with vaccinia.

TPOXX works by inhibiting the viral maturation of the variola virus by preventing the formation of a secondary viral envelope.

The most concerning news shared on Friday during a CDC Media Telebriefing indicates genetic sequencing found at least two distinct monkeypox outbreaks are underway outside Africa.

Additional monkeypox outbreak news is posted at Vax-Before-Travel.  

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