The CDC has published guidelines for a monkey vaccine

The CDC on Friday released recommendations from its group of independent experts on the smallpox vaccine, which restricts its use to people who work closely with viruses such as monkeypox. (Tami Chapel, Reuters)

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WASHINGTON – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States on Friday released recommendations from its group of independent experts on the smallpox vaccine, which limits its use to people who work closely with viruses such as monkeypox.

The Jynneos vaccine, produced by Bavarian Nordic, will be available to certain healthcare professionals and laboratory staff at a time when monkeypox infections are spreading in Europe, the United States and beyond.

The vaccine was approved in the United States in 2019 to prevent smallpox and monkeypox in high-risk adults aged 18 and over.

CDC officials said earlier this week that they were in the process of releasing some doses of the Jynneos vaccine for people in contact with known monkeypox patients.

Officials said there were more than 100 million doses of an older smallpox vaccine called ACAM2000, produced by Emergent BioSolutions, which has significant side effects.

Smallpox is a mild viral infection that is endemic in some parts of Africa, but the recent outbreak in countries where the virus is not usually spread has raised concerns.

So far, there are about 300 confirmed or suspected cases in about 20 countries where the virus has not previously circulated. The Salt Lake County Department of Health confirmed two cases of monkeypox in Utah on Wednesday. The World Health Organization has called for swift action by countries to curb the spread of monkeypox.

The CDC said its expert recommendations were intended for clinical laboratory staff performing diagnostic tests for orthopoxviruses such as smallpox and monkeypox, laboratory researchers doing viruses and healthcare professionals applying the ACAM2000 vaccine or caring for patients. infected with orthopoxviruses.

The publication of a vote by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last November formalized the recommendations.

Both ACAM2000 and Jynneos are available to prevent orthopoxvirus infections among at-risk individuals, the CDC said Friday.

Contribution: Amruta Handekar

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