The FDA’s plan to examine fractional doses of Jynneos surprised some federal scientists. There is some data to suggest that injecting one-fifth of a normal dose of Jynneos between the layers of the skin would be as effective as the current approach of giving a full dose under the skin. The skin is rich in immune cells that mediate the response to vaccines, so this approach is sometimes used, especially with vaccines in short supply, although it requires more skill. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health had planned to test the strategy for Jynneos in a clinical trial that was set to begin in a few weeks, with results expected later in the fall. “That was our plan, so we’ll have to see how it fits into the new landscape, which has changed,” said Dr. Emily Erbelding, who heads the NIH’s division of microbiology and infectious diseases. “We thought there was a desire to get a more robust data set, but if it’s a race against time, then that’s a different situation.” “Things are moving fast,” he added. The emergency declaration gives the CDC more access to information from health care providers and from states. During the outbreak, federal health officials routinely shared information about testing capacity or the number of vaccines being shipped to states. However, CDC data on the number of cases lags behind that of local public health agencies, and the number of people vaccinated or their demographic information is largely unavailable.
