May 19, 2023 – Two studies show that the Mpox vaccine distributed throughout the Mpox outbreak last summer was extremely effective in stopping infection, especially when two doses got.
A CDC study A study published on Thursday said one dose of the Jynneos vaccine was 75% effective and two doses were 86% effective. In patients with weakened immune systems, one dose was 51% effective and two doses were 70.2% effective.
“Vaccination is an important tool for preventing MPOX, and this report shows that the JYNNEOS vaccine is effective in reducing the risk of MPOX,” the CDC report said.
A study Published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the vaccine was 66% effective with two doses and 35% effective with one dose.
“The results suggest that the JYNNEOS vaccine was effective in preventing Mpox disease and that a two-dose vaccination series appears to provide better protection,” the study concluded.
The CDC warns that one other surge in MPOX cases is feasible this summer. A cluster of 21 cases was recently identified within the Chicago area, the agency said during a press conference on Thursday.
“The outbreak is not over,” says the CDC said in a warning that only 23% of the population vulnerable to MPOX are fully vaccinated.
Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is a virus that causes a rash and sometimes flu-like symptoms. It is mostly transmitted through sexual contact, but can be spread through contact with skin lesions and inhalation of respiratory droplets. Most cases within the U.S. have involved gay or bisexual men, men who've sex with men, and transgender people, based on the CDC.
As of March 31, about 30,000 MPOX cases and 42 MPOX-related deaths had been reported within the United States, the CDC said.