CA To Get 15K Monkeypox Vaccines As Cases Rise

CALIFORNIA — As reports of monkeypox cases rev up across California and the nation, orthopoxvirus vaccines are being made more readily available to those most at risk in the U.S., according to federal public health officials.

The vaccine won’t be available to everyone. The Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it is prioritizing areas with the highest numbers of cases and those most at-risk for the illness.

California was expected to get 15,000 of the 56,000 doses allowed from the federal government, the California Department of Public Health told Patch.

"In partnership with local public health departments, CDPH will allocate these vaccines based on a formula that will take into consideration the number of current Monkeypox cases and number of individuals that are most at-risk for the virus," a department spokesperson said in an email.

Californians can contact their local health department to see if they are eligible for a Jynneos vaccine as the federal government allocates more to the states.

A two-dose vaccine, Jynneos is approved for monkeypox in the U.S. The government has many more doses of an older smallpox vaccine — ACAM2000 — that they say could also be used, but that vaccine is considered to have a greater risk of side effects and is not recommended for people who have HIV. So it's the Jynneos vaccine that officials have been trying to use as a primary weapon against the monkeypox outbreak.

There are 4,769 known cases of monkeypox globally, including 305 cases in the United States, as of Wednesday morning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In California, 80 cases have been confirmed, the most of any state in the nation. The state is followed by New York with 63 and Illinois with 45.

Santa Cruz County is the latest to announce a probable first case in a resident. According to the county's Public Health Division, the resident is isolating and in good condition while awaiting test results from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

READ MORE: Monkeypox In Santa Cruz County: First Probable Case Reported

“We will continue to take aggressive action against this virus,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 response coordinator, who has also been playing a role in how the government deals with monkeypox.

Public health officials have continuously stressed that the virus is only spread through skin-to-skin contact or bodily fluids via kissing, breathing at close range, sexual activity and sharing bedding or clothing. The virus is also not spread through airborne transmission like COVID-19 or the flu.

Health experts have also noted that the risk of monkeypox to the general population remains low.

Los Angeles County has had 22 cases of monkeypox. There have been no hospitalizations or deaths associated with monkeypox in the area.

The county's approach, thus far, is to offer the monkeypox vaccine in a targeted manner as opposed to widespread vaccination.

"While supplies of monkeypox vaccine are limited, Public Health is offering the Jynneos vaccine in a targeted manner to reach individuals at higher risk of monkeypox," according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. "This includes people who are known close contacts to someone diagnosed with monkeypox and individuals who attended an event where they may have had skin-to-skin contact with someone who later tested positive for monkeypox virus. The vaccine is being used in these cases to reduce the risk of developing monkeypox."

Monkeypox, which is usually contained to central and west Africa, is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically spreads by skin-to-skin contact. Infections can cause flu-like symptoms as well as swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash. The rash usually contains bumps that initially fill with fluid before scabbing over, according to the CDC.

The symptoms could be confused with those of chicken pox or a sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis or herpes. Infections can last up to four weeks.

Monkeypox and smallpox are both orthopoxviruses, and smallpox vaccines are effective against preventing the disease.

So far, the government has deployed over 9,000 doses of vaccine. U.S. officials on Tuesday said said they are increasing the amount of Jynneos vaccine they are making available, allocating 56,000 doses immediately and about 240,000 more over the coming weeks. They promised more than 1 million more over the coming months.

In areas with highest transmission, roughly 300,000 vaccines will be available in the coming weeks and another 750,000 doses will be available over the summer, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The vaccine that will be provided is the JYNNEOS vaccine, which is approved by the FDA to prevent smallpox, monkeypox and other diseases caused by orthopoxviruses.

Officials plan on allocating doses based on a four-tier system — prioritizing jurisdictions with the highest case rates and within each tier, vaccines will be distributed based on the number of people at risk for monkeypox who also have pre-existing conditions like HIV. Those who’ve had confirmed or a presumed exposure to monkeypox will also be prioritized.

“We are focused on making sure the public and health care providers are aware of the risks posed by monkeypox and that there are steps they can take –through seeking testing, vaccines and treatments – to stay healthy and stop the spread,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said in a statement.

An older smallpox vaccine is in greater supply and health jurisdictions have the option of requesting shipments. However, the department warns that the vaccine has significant side effects and is not recommended for everyone.