Monkeypox has been a hot topic in the news lately, and although it’s not as serious as COVID-19, it’s still being taken very seriously. A recent article from The Hill discussed how the government is combating the new outbreak, and the specifics of vaccine deployment. The Jyenneos smallpox vaccine is being used to prevent monkeypox, but doses are limited. One of the proposed solutions the Biden administration is considering is splitting doses of the vaccine to make it stretch further.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said, “We’re considering an approach for the current doses of Jynneos that would allow health care providers to use an existing one dose vial of the vaccine to administer a total of up to five separate doses.” The proposed method includes intradermal administration where the reduced doses are injected in between layers of skin to create a “pocket” for the vaccine. If the FDA decides to move forward with the proposed plan, it would still involve two doses administered 28 days apart.
