The current situation is that there are two monkeypox vaccines available in the US. One of two, JYNNEOS, is a fairly normal series of two injections, given 28 days apart, but it is currently insufficient. More abundant of the two, ACAM2000, is a rather unpleasant medical procedure not far removed from the old smallpox vaccine and believed to be too dangerous to administer to people with HIV or heart disease. So, in short, unlike the COVID-19 vaccine, which is for almost everyone, this is something you should only get if you are in a high-risk group, particularly when doses of JYNNEOS are insufficient. And since these were meant to be smallpox vaccines, much more data will be needed to confirm that these vaccines are really effective against monkeypox, to what extent, and whether one is significantly better than the other.
Who needs the smallpox vaccine?
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in new tab) With that preamble out of the way, you really need to get vaccinated if you’ve likely been exposed to monkey pox. In public health this concept is called “post-exposure prophylaxis” or PEP. The vaccine is considered effective four days after exposureand can be administered up to 14 days after exposure because it is also it is believed to be useful in relieving symptoms even if you are infected. Men who have sex with men are the group most targeted by monkeypox awareness messages, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you don’t have to be in that group to get vaccinated. You qualify if:
you have been in close contact with someone known to have smallpox, or you have had sex in the past two weeks with someone who has since been diagnosed with monkeypox
So, to a large extent, the people currently receiving the vaccine are part of the so-called “ring vaccination” campaigns, in which the small amount of available JYNNEOS vaccine is given by invitation only to those determined to be the most likely beneficiaries in the immediate future. It is a “don’t call us, we’ll call you”-type arrangement. But in theory, you can also get vaccinated if you’ve had sex with a lot of people in the past two weeks in an area where monkeypox is known to spread. says the CDC. I say “theoretically” because that doesn’t necessarily mean you can just go to your primary care doctor, tell them you’ve had sex with multiple people, and get a referral to get the shot. Which brings me to…
How do I get the monkeypox vaccine?
It really depends on where you are, and honestly, it might not even be practical right now, regardless of whether you find yourself on a ring vaccination campaign. In New York, for example, there is an online portal where you can make an appointment. In Los Angeles, the online dating portal was, as of this writing, has “paused” because it was overwhelmed with people trying to make appointments, but ongoing vaccine clinics seem to be popping up more and more. In San Francisco, instead of scheduling online, you are directed to visited locations, along with numbers you can call for appointments. In Chicago, 100 doses are provided every Mondayin one location, on a first-come, first-served basis. You get the idea. If you are concerned about contamination, check online with your local health department, call and keep trying.
Will monkeypox vaccination get easier?
In particular, the development of JYNNEOS was patchy and slow. Although most US states now have documented cases of monkeypox during this outbreak, not all health departments make it easy or even possible to get a jab. That’s because at the moment it looks like poking everyone would mean widespread use of ACAM2000, and that seems to be exactly what the authorities are avoiding. As of early July, the federal government had only said 800 people ACAM2000 had been given.
About this ACAM2000 vaccine: it may be disappointing to know that this vaccine is out there and mostly unavailable, but I should probably remind you that it is, well, ugly. According to the CDC, administering ACAM2000 means 30 punctures in the skin of your shoulder, done quickly hit you 15 times with a forked steel rod until you bleed. Successful vaccination of ACAM2000 produces a lesion that peels off during the healing process. During your recovery from the 30 needle jabs, you are infected with, “a live, infectious vaccinia virus that can be transmitted from the vaccine recipient to unvaccinated persons in close contact with the vaccination site.” Post, you will have a scar.
So personally, I consider this vaccine as a last resort. Research could eventually prove that it is the superior vaccine and that the virus is so scary that we should all sign up for ACAM2000. Meanwhile, measures of human immune responses and animal research strongly suggest that JYNNEOS is effective against monkeypox.
According to the White House, there are supposed to be 750,000 total doses of JYNNEOS up for grabs in the summer and 500,000 more by the fall. On July 1, the US Department of Health and Human Services ordered 2,500,000 dosesit’s going to be in hand by early 2023. And keep in mind, JYNNEOS is a two-dose vaccine.
So if you’re a man who has sex with men in a large US city, it’s a good idea to get vaccinated. But if you haven’t been exposed, it’s not an emergency. Check back regularly and try the available portals and phone numbers until it’s your turn to receive, preferably, a JYNNEOS jab.
