U.S. health officials are trying to contain and quash the monkeypox outbreak before it becomes a larger epidemic. In less than three months, the virus has spread to nearly all parts of the country, with almost 9,500 cases confirmed as of Tuesday.
Unlike the novel coronavirus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox is a known quantity with an effective vaccine that’s been approved since 2019. The problem is the shot is in short supply.
The FDA in July finally signed off on a plant used to manufacture the vaccine, which freed up more doses. But it’s clear that the current supply won’t meet demand without other steps, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in the agency’s statement.
