These efforts will enhance access to it for those most at risk, and will increase supplies to areas with high case numbers.
The plan, announced on Tuesday, includes the rapid expansion of access to the “Genius” vaccine developed by the “Bavarian Nordic” company, which has been limited so far, in order to prevent the spread of monkeypox in areas with the highest rates of outbreaks of the disease, according to what she said. Reuters.
Local health departments, and at the state level as well, can request supplies of another vaccine developed by Emerging Biosolutions, which is much more available but has more side effects and cannot be used by everyone, including those with weakened immunity.
The administration of President Joe Biden will allocate 296,000 doses of Genius vaccine from a national stockpile to states and territories over the coming weeks, with 56,000 doses to be allocated immediately, while another 1.6 million doses will be available over the coming months, officials said.
The United States has seen 306 cases of monkeypox, a viral infection associated with smallpox.
Although the virus is endemic in parts of Africa, the current outbreak has reached countries where this virus is not usually spread, which raises fears that it may become more widespread.
The demand for the vaccine is increasing. Last week, a clinic in New York began offering the vaccine, and the available doses quickly ran out.
Previously, health officials focused on administering the vaccine to individuals who had direct contact with confirmed cases of monkeypox.
The new strategy will expand that range to include presumed exposures to infected people, said Jennifer McKeston, an official at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Government officials said the goal of the initial phase of the strategy is to slow the spread of the disease.
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