Why the Monkeypox Vaccine Shortage May Threaten Immunocompromised People
People with H.I.V. and other immune system issues may require the full two-dose regimen, the researchers said. But vaccines, especially second doses, are hard to come by.
The shortage of monkeypox vaccine doses in the United States, which is expected to last for months, raises urgent questions about how well and for how long a single injection can protect against the virus.
The vaccine, called Jynneos, is approved as a two-dose schedule, but most people at risk of infection have been given a dose - if they can find it. Today, the shortage has led federal authorities to consider a rarely used approach: a so-called dose-sparing strategy, which gives injections each containing only one-fifth of a single dose.
For most recipients, one injection should be sufficient to prevent serious illness, and there is evidence that even lower doses may be effective. But preliminary research suggests that people living with H.I.V. or other conditions that weaken the immune system may be less protected than people without such diseases, some experts say.
So far, men who have sex with men account for virtually all cases of monkeypox in the United States, and more than 40% are men living with HIV, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States Total In the past two weeks daily average Change over 14 days7,510 4,743 319 +82%
People with H.I.V. and other immune system issues may require the full two-dose regimen, the researchers said. But vaccines, especially second doses, are hard to come by.
The shortage of monkeypox vaccine doses in the United States, which is expected to last for months, raises urgent questions about how well and for how long a single injection can protect against the virus.
The vaccine, called Jynneos, is approved as a two-dose schedule, but most people at risk of infection have been given a dose - if they can find it. Today, the shortage has led federal authorities to consider a rarely used approach: a so-called dose-sparing strategy, which gives injections each containing only one-fifth of a single dose.
For most recipients, one injection should be sufficient to prevent serious illness, and there is evidence that even lower doses may be effective. But preliminary research suggests that people living with H.I.V. or other conditions that weaken the immune system may be less protected than people without such diseases, some experts say.
So far, men who have sex with men account for virtually all cases of monkeypox in the United States, and more than 40% are men living with HIV, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States Total In the past two weeks daily average Change over 14 days7,510 4,743 319 +82%What's Your Reaction?
