White House to distribute 296,000 monkeypox vaccines and increase testing as virus spreads

An electron miscroscopic image depicts a monkeypox virion.

CDC

• The White House announced Tuesday they would be distributing 296,000 vaccines to mitigate the spread of monkeypox.
• The vaccines will be distributed to those with a high risk of contracting the virus.
• The US has seen 305 cases of monkeypox as of June 28.

The Department of Health and Human Services will soon be deploying 296,000 monkeypox vaccines to help slow the spread of monkeypox among high-risk individuals.

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that 56,000 Jynneos vaccines, which can protect individuals against monkeypox, will be sent out immediately, while the rest will be sent out over the coming weeks. The HHS will also reserve 60,000 vaccines. 

The CDC also began sending out an increased number of tests to large commercial laboratory companies Aegis Science, Labcorp, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics, and Sonic Healthcare to help with testing distribution.

The US has seen 305 cases of monkeypox this year as of June 28.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever and a rash or lesions, but the World Health Organization says those in newly-affected countries may also experience atypical symptoms, including anal pain and bleeding, the absence of lesions or lesions that do not spread beyond the genitals.

Monkeypox is most prevalent in men who have sex with men, but experts say it can spread to anyone in close contact to someone with the virus. The CDC recommends those who may have been exposed to monkeypox should avoid sexual or physical contact. 

Before the current global outbreak, the disease, which spreads from animals to humans through bites or exposure to sores or blood, was primarily found only in Central and West Africa. The current outbreak may be an indication that human-to-human transmission may have gone undetected outside of Africa, the WHO said on Monday. 

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