In Response to African Mpox Outbreak, Vaccine is Being Made Available

Updated August 15, 2024: In response to the ongoing events in Africa related to mpox, Africa CDC has also signed a partnership agreement with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and Bavarian Nordic to provide over 215,000 doses of the MVA-BN (Jynneos) vaccine—the only FDA and EMA-approved mpox vaccine. Africa CDC will oversee the equitable distribution of these vaccines, prioritizing local needs across the affected Member States.¹

Back in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) MMWR published data around the mpox vaccine, MVA-BN (Jynneos), manufactured by Bavarian Nordic. Investigators reported the vaccine is highly effective in preventing mpox virus infection after receipt of 2 Jynneos doses. In fact the estimated incidence rate to have occurred is less than 0.8% in fully vaccinated persons.

In the period from May 2022 – May 2024, 271 mpox cases in fully vaccinated persons were reported to CDC from 27 US jurisdictions. The CDC data shows that among 32,819 probable or confirmed mpox cases during this time period, a total of 24,507 (75%) occurred in unvaccinated persons.²

“Of these 271 cases, 51 (19%) occurred during 2024. Vaccination status was missing for 3737 (11%) cases; an additional 4304 (13%) cases were excluded from analysis because the patient had received only 1 Jynneos vaccine dose or had received the second dose <14 days before illness onset, or because other exclusion criteria were met.²

They pointed out that compared with unvaccinated cases, a higher proportion of fully vaccinated cases occurred among non-Hispanic White individuals (59%) and people aged 30–39 years (47%).²

Chicago Mpox Cluster
In the spring of 2023, the city of Chicago had an mpox cluster amongst fully vaccinated (FV) individuals. During this outbreak, from March 18-June 27, 2023, investigators identified 49 mpox cases with 57% of these cases coming from fully vaccinated individuals.³

“Our investigation indicated that cases were likely due to frequent behaviors associated with mpox transmission, even with relatively high vaccine effectiveness and vaccine coverage. Cases after vaccination might occur in similar populations,” the investigators concluded.³

Availability
In April, Bavarian Nordic announced the Jynneos vaccine was available for commercial purchase in the US. Health care providers can order the vaccine through wholesalers and distribution partners, making it accessible at pharmacies, physician offices, and public health clinics.⁴

References
1. Africa CDC Declares Mpox A Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, Mobilizing Resources Across the Continent. Africa CDC. August 13, 2024. August 14, 2024.
https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent
2. Guagliardo SA, Kracalik I, Carter RJ, et al. Monkeypox Virus Infections After 2 Preexposure Doses of JYNNEOS Vaccine — United States, May 2022–May 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:460–466. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7320a3
3. Faherty EAG, Holly T, Ogale YP, et al. Investigation of an mpox outbreak affecting many vaccinated persons in Chicago, IL–March 2023–June 2023. Clin Infect Dis 2024;ciae181.
https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae181 PMID:38567460
4. Abene S. FDA-Approved Mpox Vaccine Now Commercially Available in the US. Contagion. April 2, 2024. May 23, 2024.
https://www.contagionlive.com/view/fda-approved-mpox-vaccine-now-commercially-available-in-the-us