Mpox vaccine information

The following is the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for more information, visit New Cluster of Mpox Cases—Get Vaccinated!:

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is caused by a virus that is related to the virus that causes smallpox. JYNNEOS is a 2-dose vaccine developed to protect against mpox and smallpox infections. People need to get both doses of the vaccine for the best protection against mpox. The second dose should be given 4 weeks after the first dose.

Vaccination is an important tool in stopping the spread of mpox. People who are vaccinated should continue to avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has mpox.

CDC recommends vaccination against mpox if:

• You had known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox
• You had a sex partner in the past 2 weeks who was diagnosed with mpox
• You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men or a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse person who in the past 6 months has had any of the following:
  • A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis)
  • More than one sex partner
• You have had any of the following in the past 6 months:
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse)
  • Sex related to a large commercial event or in a geographic area (city or county for example) where mpox virus transmission is occurring
  • Sex in exchange for money or other items
• You have a sex partner with any of the above risks
• You anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios
• You have HIV or other causes of immune suppression and have had recent or anticipate future risk of mpox exposure from any of the above scenarios
• You work in settings where you may be exposed to mpox:
  • You work with orthopoxviruses in a laboratory

MPOX treatment information

The following is the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/if-sick/treatment.html.

What You Need to Know

• There are no treatments specifically for mpox. But because the viruses that cause mpox and smallpox are similar, antiviral drugs developed to protect against smallpox may be used to treat mpox effectively.
• The antiviral drug tecovirimat (TPOXX) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat smallpox in adults and children. Drugs developed to treat smallpox may be used to treat mpox.