CDC lays out plans to send monkeypox vaccines to Washington
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday announced plans to distribute a limited amount of monkeypox vaccines to Washington state, the state department of health said in a news release.
Because the supply of vaccines from the federal government is limited, allocations are based on the number of monkeypox cases in each state, the DOH said.
Washington has been allotted 398 courses, or 796 total doses, of the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine.
According to the DOH, 272 of the 398 courses have already been distributed to jurisdictions with known cases and close contacts.
The DOH says there are currently 15 confirmed and probable cases of monkeypox that have been identified in Washington state, including one person who was exposed in another state but tested positive in Washington. All other cases are King County residents.
“The risk to the public is low at this time. Transmission generally requires close, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has symptoms of the disease,” said state epidemiologist for communicable diseases Scott Lindquist, MD, MPH. “For people who have had recent contact with someone who tested positive for monkeypox, the vaccine can reduce the chance of developing a monkeypox infection.”
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Phase I of the vaccine allotment calls for the government to give out 56,000 doses using a distribution strategy that prioritizes places hardest hit by monkeypox infection. The majority of these doses will go to high- and intermediate-risk close contacts of confirmed and probable cases, according to the DOH.
In late July or early August, 240,000 more doses will be made available in Phase II of the vaccine allotment.
According to the DOH, monkeypox can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that can appear anywhere on the body. Many cases have caused lesions on the genitals on in the anal area.
The DOH says that current cases mainly involve men who have sex with men, though anyone who is sexually active with more than one partner or who is partners with someone who has multiple partners can be at risk as well.
Other risk factors include travel to areas where monkeypox is spreading, non-sexual contact with a known case or contact with infected animals.
