Monkeypox

Reuters reports: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted expanded approval to Emergent BioSolutions’ smallpox vaccine for use in people at high risk of mpox infection, sending the drugmaker’s shares 5% higher on Friday. The FDA clearance, announced late on Thursday by the company, makes the vaccine – called ACAM2000 – the second approved shot against mpox in the U.S. …

Politico Europe reports: A drug used in the last global mpox outbreak in 2022-23 is not effective against the more severe virus spreading rapidly in Africa, researchers have found. The antiviral, tecovirimat, did not reduce the duration of lesions among children and adults with clade I mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the initial results …

The New York Times reports: The rapid spread of mpox, formerly called monkeypox, in African countries constitutes a global health emergency, the World Health Organization declared on Wednesday. This is the second time in three years that the W.H.O. has designated an mpox epidemic as a global emergency. It previously did so in July 2022. That outbreak went on to …

Politico reports: The Biden administration is eyeing an end to its public health emergency declaration for MPOX, a sign that officials believe they’ve brought the monthslong outbreak under control. Health officials are likely to issue a 60-day notice later this week for winding down the declaration, two people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. Such a move would put …

Politico reports: The World Health Organization is planning to rename monkeypox, designating it as “MPOX” in an effort to destigmatize the virus that gained a foothold in the U.S. earlier this year. The decision follows an initial agreement the WHO made over the summer to consider suggestions for monkeypox’s new name. Public health experts and LGBT activists had called for …

Gothamist reports: New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said on Wednesday that significant progress had been made in containing the spread of monkeypox, as cases have continued to drop since late this summer. “We have turned a corner that I hope indicates that we now have the upper hand on this outbreak,” Vasan said in a briefing on COVID-19, …

The New York Times reports: Americans who received a single dose of the monkeypox vaccine were significantly less likely to be infected by the virus over the summer than those who did not, according to an analysis published on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that offered a limited glimpse of the shot’s protectiveness. The findings, gleaned …

From the National Institutes of Health: A Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the antiviral tecovirimat, also known as TPOXX, is now enrolling adults and children with monkeypox infection in the United States. Study investigators aim to enroll more than 500 people from clinical research sites nationwide. Interested volunteers can visit the ACTG website for more information. The trial is sponsored …

NBC New York reports: The White House said Wednesday it’s optimistic about a decline in monkeypox cases and an uptick in vaccinations against the infectious virus, despite worsening racial disparities in reported cases. Promising to ramp up vaccination offerings at LGBTQ Pride festivals around the country in the coming weeks, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the deputy coordinator of the White House …

From the New York City Department of Health: New York City has announced that it will begin making second doses of the monkeypox vaccine available by appointment only. People who received their first dose at least 10 weeks earlier will be notified by email or text that they are eligible for their second doses so that they can make appointments …

The Hill reports: The Biden administration on Tuesday announced plans to expand the response to the monkeypox outbreak by providing vaccinations and education at large LGBTQ-centered events around the country following a recent pilot program carried out in Charlotte, N.C. Demetre Daskalakis [photo], deputy director for the White House’s national monkeypox response, stated during a briefing that the administration was …

Reuters reports: It is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, World Health Organization officials said on Tuesday, highlighting evidence that case counts are slowing in a handful of countries. There are encouraging signs of a sustained week-on-week decline in the onset of cases in many European countries, including France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Britain, as well as a …

Axios reports: The Biden administration struck an $11 million deal on Monday to support the packaging of the monkeypox Jynneos vaccine at a domestic facility. The move is another step the administration is taking to bolster the supplies of the vaccine amid limited availability. The Jynneos vaccine is produced by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic, which signed a deal earlier …

The Associated Press reports: The number of monkeypox cases reported globally dropped by 21% in the last week, reversing a month-long trend of rising infections and a possible signal the outbreak in Europe may be starting to decline, according to a World Health Organization report issued Thursday. British health authorities said last week after seeing a decline in the number …

Spectrum New York reports: New York City has seen a significant decline in its daily monkeypox case count in recent weeks, but vaccination disparities remain a cause for concern, health officials said Tuesday. The five boroughs’ seven-day average case count fell from a peak of 72 on July 30 to 16 on Monday, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene data …

The Voice Of America reports: A smaller dose of the monkeypox vaccine appears to still be effective and can be used to stretch the current supply by five times, the European Medicines Agency said Friday, echoing a recommendation made earlier this month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The EU drug regulator said in a statement that injecting people …

Matt Tracy reports at Gay City News: The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced that 63,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine have been administered in the city, but officials are also pointing to racial disparities and vowing to dole out $5 million to community groups to address inequities in the next phase of the vaccine rollout. …

Via press release from the White House: Today, HHS is announcing that it has accelerated Phase 4 of its National Vaccine Strategy and will be making an additional 1.8 million doses available for ordering starting Monday, August 22. Jurisdictions that are adopting the intradermal administration of vaccine and have used 90% of their current supply of vaccine will be able …

The Washington Post reports: The potential case of human-to-dog transmission was discovered in a 4-year-old Italian greyhound 12 days after its owners had an onset of monkeypox symptoms, according to the Lancet report. The dog had lesions on its skin and mucous membranes, pustules on its abdomen and a thin anal ulceration. Medical staffers matched one of the dog owners’ …

Gothamist reports: LGBTQ+ activists gathered outside Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office in Manhattan on Sunday to demand better access to monkeypox testing and vaccines from the federal government. Organizers with ACT UP New York, PrEP4All and members of the queer community that have been impacted by the monkeypox outbreak called for or an emergency use authorization of the tecovirimat, or Tpoxx …