To help stop the spread of monkeypox virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced plans to distribute a limited amount of vaccine to Washington state.
According to a press release from the Washington Department of Health, because there is a limited supply from the federal government, allocations are based on the number of monkeypox cases in each state. Due to the relatively small number of cases in Washington compared to other jurisdictions, the state has been allotted 398 courses, or 796 doses of the 2-dose JYNNEOS vaccine. Of that allotment, 272 courses have already been distributed to jurisdictions with known cases and close contacts.
Currently, 15 confirmed and probable cases of monkeypox have been identified in Washington state, including one person who was exposed in another state, but tested positive in Washington. All other cases are residents of King County. Early cases of monkeypox were identified in people who had travelled outside of Washington state. More recently, cases have been identified in people who have no history of recent travel, meaning they were likely exposed to monkeypox locally. Investigators are working to notify close contacts of these cases.
Due to current limited vaccine supplies, Phase I calls for the government to allocate 56,000 doses from the strategic stockpile using a tiered distribution strategy that prioritizes states and jurisdictions with the highest case rates of monkeypox. In late July or early August, Phase II will make 240,000 additional doses available nationwide. Eventually, more than a million doses are planned for distribution across the US. It is unknown how many additional doses Washington state will receive.
Public health officials encourage anyone who has symptoms of monkeypox, or anyone who has been in close contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox in the last 21 days, to contact a health care provider to see if they should be tested. (WA Dept of Health)
