Jynneos vaccine: The best weapon against monkeypox?

Over the past few months, healthcare leaders have been working on identifying vaccines to prevent the spread of monkeypox. One such development is the use of Bavarian Nordic’s (OMX:BAVA) Jynneos vaccine for the prevention and treatment of the fast-spreading disease.

The Jynneos vaccine won approval in the U.S. in 2019 for the prevention of monkeypox and smallpox. The vaccine is made with weakened vaccinia virus. The vaccine is indicated to help protect people against monkeypox. Specifically, it is intended to be given before exposure to the virus or reduce the risk of infection if given within four days after exposure. In addition, FDA has authorized its use to cut the risk of serious illness if given within 14 days after exposure.

The FDA approved the two-dose Jynneos vaccine in 2019 for people ages 18 and older with a high monkeypox or smallpox exposure risk.

Jynneos is now the only FDA-licensed vaccine for the prevention of monkeypox disease.

CDC has also recommended the use of Emergent BioSolutions’ (NYSE:EBS) ACAM2000 vaccine for laboratory technicians and military personnel who may be exposed to orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox and smallpox.

ACAM2000 also is available for use against monkeypox under an Expanded Access Investigational New Drug application.

CDC notes that no data are available on the effectiveness of either vaccine in the current monkeypox outbreak.

Jynneos, however, continues to be the favored vaccine for most individuals with an elevated risk of contracting monkeypox.

An evolving strategy for battling monkeypox

In the current outbreak in countries and amongst the reported monkeypox cases, the primary source of transmission is physical contact. For this reason, studies suggest that it is important to continue other prevention measures such as avoiding sex and other close physical contact with people who have monkeypox symptoms. Transmission can also result from contaminated materials such as linens, bedding, electronics, clothing, that have infectious skin particles.

CDC is tracking the outbreak of monkeypox that has spread across several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the U.S. Jynneos vaccine is a two-dose vaccine. It is recommended that a person should get the second dose at least four weeks after the first dose.

In the U.S. in 2014, a chain of events led to the stockpiling of more than 20 million doses of a currently critical vaccine for smallpox, also effective against monkeypox, sitting in freezers in a national stockpile. Upon the outbreak of monkeypox, public health leaders turned to the U.S.’s stockpile. By mid-May, however, the monkeypox vaccine supply had dwindled to 2,400 usable doses as the remainder had expired.

Furthermore, the current U.S. vaccination campaign against monkeypox has faced major hurdles as demand for the shots has surpassed supply. The shortfall has caused disturbances at clinics and protests in some cities. In addition to this, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that the U.S. will make 786,000 additional monkeypox vaccine doses available to local health departments “as soon as possible.” The move increased the number of monkeypox vaccine doses to 1.1 million, according to the CDC.

What’s next for the Jynneos vaccine?

The global goal now is to stay ahead of this virus. Strategizing the deployment of vaccines in order to protect the ones at risk and control the spread of the virus is what is required at the moment. Jynneos vaccine is the result of years of federal investment and planning. However, real-world data on vaccine effectiveness and how well the vaccine will prevent monkeypox in the current outbreak is still awaited.

The allocation of doses should take into account key factors like the total population at risk and the number of new cases. Furthermore, the administration should ensure enough supply of this two-dose vaccine regimen for full vaccination. With major economies declaring an emergency situation as a result of the monkeypox outbreak, the availability of vaccines remains a central priority.

Aditi is the Marketing Head at Future Market Insights (FMI), an ESOMAR-certified market research and consulting Market Research Company. The award-winning firm is headquartered in Dubai, with offices in the US, UK, and India. The award-winning firm is headquartered in Dubai, with offices in the US, UK, and India. MarketNgage is the Market Research Subscription Platform from FMI that assists stakeholders in obtaining in-depth research across industries, markets and niche segments. You can connect with Aditi on LinkedIn.