(Screenshot/YouTube – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Aug. 15 that it is making up to 442,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine available for states and local jurisdictions to order under an accelerated plan to combat the current monkeypox outbreak.
“Ending the monkeypox outbreak is a critical priority for the Biden-Harris Administration,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement released by the White House.
“Every step of the way, we have accelerated our response including by significantly increasing vaccine supply and distribution, expanding access to tests, making treatments available for free, and educating the public on steps to reduce the risk of infection,” Becerra said. “FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization of intradermal injection of the JYNNEOS vaccine is allowing us to get more doses to jurisdictions faster than anticipated and will help end this national monkeypox outbreak. We will continue working with our state partners to ensure equitable and fair distribution of these vaccine doses to protect those most at risk and limit the spread of the virus.”
In addition, HHS noted that it has worked to increase the availability of monkeypox tests nationwide by partnering with five commercial laboratories. Since the start of the current outbreak, testing capacity has increased to 80,000 per week – up from 6,000 per week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also taken action to significantly reduce the burden in accessing treatment for monkeypox by decreasing the documentation required to access the antiviral treatment TPOXX and also allowing providers to start treatment more quickly.
In New York City, the Gothamist reported LGBTQ activists gathered outside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Senate district office in Manhattan Aug. 14 to demand better access to monkeypox testing and vaccines from the federal government.
Organizers with ACT UP New York, PrEP4All and members of the queer community that have been impacted by the monkeypox outbreak called for or an emergency use authorization of the tecovirimat, or Tpoxx vaccine, an investment in new testing that detects the virus before skin lesions appear and more educational outreach to all communities.
Medical providers in New York have called on the Biden administration to remove barriers to the antiviral to monkeypox known as Tpoxx, which aims to stop the virus from progressing once a person has already been infected – versus other vaccines typically used as a preventative measure.
Supply chain issues have plagued local health departments in the larger metropolitan areas where the largest populations of gay and bisexual men are residing. According to the CDC the principally affected group of persons infected with the virus are men who have sex with men and transgender individuals who have sex with men.
In California, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has nearly exhausted its limited supplies of the JYNNEOS and is anticipating resupply, but has paused its County-wide pre-registration link on its website, putting off scheduling new vaccine appointments. There are also shortages in San Francisco.
The Bay Area Reporter noted that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors interrupted its August recess Aug. 15 to ratify the declaration and heard from Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip about how it could help the city get more of the Jynneos vaccine. The city recently received 10,000 doses, less than is needed but way more than previous shipments.
