Your Daily Vaccine Update

Mpox – a dangerous virus with pandemic potential

Mpox is a virus similar to smallpox and chicken pox. There are two main varieties (clades): Clade I (Congo Basin) and Clade II (West African). Clade I causes more serious disease and is associated with a higher fatality rate. Clade II resulted in a global outbreak in 2022 and causes less severe disease and is less likely to be fatal than Clade I.

Mpox can spread to humans from animals and other humans. It
can spread from animals via bites, scratches, contact with bodily fluids or eating infected meat. Spread between persons can result from skin-to-skin contact, kissing, and contact with contaminated objects like bedding or clothing.

Symptoms are flu-like with fever, headache, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. A rash and blisters usually appear (see image).

There are three vaccines for mpox: ACAM2000, JYNNEOS and LC16m8. ACAM2000 is licensed in several countries including the US, Australia and Singapore. Interestingly, it can be used both for smallpox and mpox. JYNNEOS is licensed in the US and Europe, and LC16m8 is licensed primarily in Japan. The International Vaccine Institute has recently launched a study to measure effectiveness of the LC16m8 vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mpox like Nipah virus, which I wrote about the other day, are representative of potentially pandemic vaccines. We can be hopeful than when the next pandemic occurs, there will be several vaccines ready to fight to fight the cause.

Vaccines are safe and effective and are perhaps our most powerful public health tool.

Richard Mahoney
Adjunct Professor
National School of Tropical Medicine
Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development
Baylor College of Medicine

Image Source: WHO