After the White House declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency Aug. 4, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, said the agency is considering splitting one dose of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine into five doses, according to The Hill.
An FDA spokesperson told The Hill the considered strategy is because it is "clear to all of us that we would not meet current demand with the current supply."
One manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic, is the only company in the world with an authorized monkeypox vaccine. The U.S. has bought more than a million doses to be shipped in batches through 2023, but multiple health systems and state departments have said they don't have enough.
The shortage has forced online appointments to fill up within hours, hundreds of people to crowd blocks as they wait in line, and some of the hardest-hit cities have gone against FDA advisories by prioritizing the first dose as they wait for the next vaccine shipment.
The nation's stockpile had more than 20 million Jynneos doses but they all expired before the current outbreak, which officials attributed to budget cuts.