It's been a bumpy road for monkeypox vaccines between 28 million doses expiring in 2017 and demand outpacing manufacturing capacity, but the pavement seems to be smoothing out after months of problems.
Although the U.S. leads the world with the most monkeypox infections — 21,274 cases as of Sept. 7, about three times as many as Spain, the second hardest-hit country — the national infection rate seems to be slowing. This trend, alongside the federal government funneling more than $30 million into manufacturing and distribution efforts, could indicate the outbreak is easing.
"The positive trends that we're seeing in this data also speak to the actions of individuals taken across the country to protect themselves against the virus that includes changing their behaviors and seeking out testing and vaccines," Demetre Daskalakis, MD, the head of the White House's monkeypox response team, told CNBC.
Three updates on the supply of monkeypox vaccines, treatments and tests:
1. The FDA authorized monkeypox tests for emergency use Sept. 7 hours after HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra issued a declaration under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act's Section 564 to allow the FDA to expand testing availability.
2. Of the million monkeypox vaccines ordered by the U.S., more than 772,000 doses have been shipped, according to the HHS. According to the CDC, 460,000 monkeypox vaccines have been administered.
3. HHS awarded AmerisourceBergen $19.8 million to speed up shipments of monkeypox vaccines and treatments Sept. 6. The department also invested $11 million into a facility in Grand Rapids, Mich., that's tasked with filling vaccine vials.