The Washington Post reports:
The manufacturer of the only vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration to protect against monkeypox privately warned senior Biden health officials about their plan to split doses and change how the shots are delivered.
“We do have some reservations … due to the very limited safety data available,” Bavarian Nordic CEO Paul Chaplin wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert M. Califf in a letter sent Tuesday and obtained by The Washington Post.
“It would have been prudent” to conduct further studies before overhauling the nation’s monkeypox vaccine strategy, Chaplin said, adding that his company had been “inundated with calls from U.S. state government officials with questions and concerns” about how to implement the new plan.
Read the full article.
Becerra says he’s confident that the FDA’s plan is “safe and effective.” The above-linked piece goes on to note that Biden officials believe that the vaccine maker is concerned about a reduction in profits if fewer doses are needed.
Monkeypox vaccine maker voices concerns on U.S. dose-splitting plan https://t.co/Tn0G4JmX73
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 11, 2022
“We do have some reservations … due to the very limited safety data available,” Bavarian Nordic’s CEO wrote to HHS officials in a letter obtained by The Post. “It would have been prudent” to do further studies before overhauling the US vaccine strategy.https://t.co/FDwsIKjNmF
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) August 11, 2022
Meanwhile, U.S. officially passed 10,000 total monkeypox cases today, highest count in the world.
For comparison: 785 total cases a month ago today, and just 59 cases two months ago today.
At least one case in every state but Wyoming, mostly in gay men.https://t.co/VRlwZ7xIf9 pic.twitter.com/1H87DwvEBy
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) August 11, 2022