With a high demand and limited supply of monkeypox vaccines, some states and cities are prioritizing doses for those who have had direct exposure to monkeypox, and others are offering only one shot of the required two-dose regimen.
The distribution is varied. Washington, D.C., has 8,000 doses, but Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city needs 100,000 more. Louisiana has about 1,000 doses and is only distributing them to those who have been exposed to monkeypox, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.
New York City is taking a more extreme route. The city's health department tweeted July 15 that it's prioritizing doses with a "single-dose strategy" even though the CDC says two doses are required.
The HHS has ordered nearly 7 million doses of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos vaccine. More than 150,000 Jynneos doses have been distributed, and 131,000 are expected soon, the HHS said July 15. Despite government efforts, health experts warn the public health response is too slow.
Bavarian Nordic, the only manufacturer of Jynneos, said July 18 it's making deals with an undisclosed number of countries for the vaccine. The news could further reduce access to the treatment as the outbreak grows to 12,556 cases worldwide — a number that's doubled since July 6.