Smaller doses of the smallpox vaccine used to provide protection against monkeypox will be trialled at NHS sites in London and Manchester to maximize supply, the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has announced.
In the pilot scheme – which will take place at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and Locala Health and Wellbeing in Greater Manchester – eligible adults will be offered a 0.1ml dose of the smallpox vaccine sample of Imvanex, instead of the usual dose of 0.5 ml.
“Global supplies of the smallpox vaccine used to fight monkeypox are limited,” UKHSA head of immunization Mary Ramsay said. “Adopting this tried and tested technique will help maximize the reach of our remaining supplies, including the 100,000 doses due to arrive in the country next month, potentially allowing us to offer protection to many more thousands…
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