Tuesday 9 August 2022 08:19 PM US regulators set to clear new monkeypox vaccine technique that rations jabs trends now
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning on green lighting plans to make America's supply of monkeypox vaccines last longer by slashing the dosage 80 percent and changing the way it is delivered to patients.
Bloomberg reports that in order to quell a shortage of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine officials are planning on delivering doses of the vaccine that are only 0.1 milliliter (ml) - a massive fall from the 0.5 ml standard dose. They believe that using an intradermal injection - which delivers the vaccine between the layers of the skin instead of underneath the skin's fat - will make sure the shot is just as effective.
The FDA is set to approve plans to cut the dosage of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine by 80%, and deliver it intradermally in a bid to solve America's vaccine shortage (file photo)
It comes in response to a massive shortage in monkeypox vaccines available in the U.S. Officials have so far distributed only 600,000 doses to state and local jurisdictions around the country. When jabs have become available in major population centers like New York City, appointments have been filled within minutes due to the exceedingly high demand.
The science behind the move is limited, though. A single 2015 study funded by the National Institutes of Health shows that vaccines can be just as effective through the intradermal route, but no other data exists. This would be a massive shift in America's response to the virus based on limited existing evidence.
The move comes as the U.S. logged a record 1,424 cases on Monday, the highest total since the global outbreak first found its way stateside in May. In total, the U.S. has logged 8,934 infections - the most of any country.
This outbreak could soon get worse as well. The new school year is set to begin at colleges and universities across the U.S. in the coming weeks. Young students are more likely to engage in careless sexual behavior, creating a perfect storm for potential monkeypox outbreaks around the nation.
Officials wrote in an email obtained by Bloomberg that the FDA will soon give emergency clearance to the rationed jabs.
The Jynneos vaccine was developed by Bavarian Nordic for smallpox, but it also effective against monkeypox.
Last week, FDA Chief Robert Califf explained that this new approach will allow the nation to make the most of its resources without losing effectiveness.
'The upside is you can stretch out doses,' Dr John Moore, a virologist at Cornell University told the New York Times of the plan.
'The downside is, if you cut it too
