Should You Get Another Mpox Vaccine Dose?

Key TakeawaysA highly transmissible mpox strain has spread outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo.Only 23% of the at-risk population in the U.S. has been fully vaccinated against mpox, despite the availability of the vaccine.While a two-dose vaccination is recommended for people at higher risk of mpox, there’s no recommendation for an additional booster shot right now.After the World Health Organization (WHO)declared mpox as a global health emergencyon August 14, some countries in Asia and Europe are ramping up safety measures.There are no known cases of the new mpox strain in the United States right now.The U.S. is armed with the Jynneos vaccines, which can prevent mpox infection. In the previous mpox outbreak, around 1.2 million vaccine doses were administered, but only 23% of the at-risk population has been fully vaccinated.The two-dose Jynneos vaccines are commercially available in the U.S. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends Jynneos for adults who are at higher risk of mpox, including men who have sex with men who have had more than one sexual partner or been diagnosed with more than onesexually transmitted diseasein the past six months.Getting more than two doses—or a “booster” shot—isn’t recommended right now except for people who are at risk of occupational exposure, such as from a laboratory or a healthcare facility.“We haven’t seen any clade 1 cases in the U.S. yet. I’m sure we will, and I’m sure that will be a game changer, but unless we see a large number of cases, dozens of cases, and death, it’s probably going to be kind of in the background,” saidAndrew Noymer, PhD,an associate professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine.Noymer said a booster is likely unnecessary because mpox vaccines are “more durable” than COVID-19 vaccines.While Jynneos is not approved for people under 18, it can be prescribed off-label, saidSharon Nachman, MD, the division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.“I think that people can make the case for young adults under age 18 that are sexually active, that there is a real concern for them to get vaccinated,” Nachman said.Should You Get Vaccinated Before Traveling?In Europe, travelers are being urged to get vaccinated if they are traveling to heavily impacted areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that eligible travelers going to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or neighboring countries get the vaccine.There are no mpox vaccines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of the current outbreak. Despite the emergency declaration, the WHO has not approved the vaccines, though it has started the process for emergency use listing, which should speed up vaccine distribution once it is in effect.This unequal distribution of mpox vaccines could lead to a preventable spread of the new strain, saidAlexandra Finch, LLM, an associate at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.“This is a tale as old as time: That we let endemic diseases proliferate, and we don’t deal with them until they land in high-income countries,” Finch told Verywell. “The lesson is not so much how these particular set[s] of African communities are dealing with this particular outbreak. I think the story is that we stockpile effective technologies in high-income countries, while low-and-middle-income countries are forced to rely on those donations.”What If You Never Got a Second Dose?Vaccination is crucial in stopping the spread of mpox. However, only a quarter of the eligible Americans have completed the two-dose mpox vaccines.Even though clade 1 cases haven’t been identified in the U.S., it’s important to complete the full series, Nachman said. If you’ve only received one dose, it’s never too late to get the second shot.If you’ve already recovered from mpox, the risk of reinfection is extremely rare. Because of this, people who have recovered from mpox are not recommended to receive the Jynneos vaccine.“When we think about [mpox], we talk about prevention, but there’s a downstream prevention piece as well: that if you are infected, get treated, so the cycle ends with you,” Nachman said.What This Means For YouIf you are at risk of mpox, it’s important to get the two-dose Jynneos vaccines. Travelers heading to regions with mpox outbreaks should also consider vaccination to protect themselves and others.What Does an Mpox Rash Look Like?

Key TakeawaysA highly transmissible mpox strain has spread outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo.Only 23% of the at-risk population in the U.S. has been fully vaccinated against mpox, despite the availability of the vaccine.While a two-dose vaccination is recommended for people at higher risk of mpox, there’s no recommendation for an additional booster shot right now.

Key Takeaways

A highly transmissible mpox strain has spread outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo.Only 23% of the at-risk population in the U.S. has been fully vaccinated against mpox, despite the availability of the vaccine.While a two-dose vaccination is recommended for people at higher risk of mpox, there’s no recommendation for an additional booster shot right now.

After the World Health Organization (WHO)declared mpox as a global health emergencyon August 14, some countries in Asia and Europe are ramping up safety measures.

There are no known cases of the new mpox strain in the United States right now.

The U.S. is armed with the Jynneos vaccines, which can prevent mpox infection. In the previous mpox outbreak, around 1.2 million vaccine doses were administered, but only 23% of the at-risk population has been fully vaccinated.

The two-dose Jynneos vaccines are commercially available in the U.S. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends Jynneos for adults who are at higher risk of mpox, including men who have sex with men who have had more than one sexual partner or been diagnosed with more than onesexually transmitted diseasein the past six months.

Getting more than two doses—or a “booster” shot—isn’t recommended right now except for people who are at risk of occupational exposure, such as from a laboratory or a healthcare facility.

“We haven’t seen any clade 1 cases in the U.S. yet. I’m sure we will, and I’m sure that will be a game changer, but unless we see a large number of cases, dozens of cases, and death, it’s probably going to be kind of in the background,” saidAndrew Noymer, PhD,an associate professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine.

Noymer said a booster is likely unnecessary because mpox vaccines are “more durable” than COVID-19 vaccines.

While Jynneos is not approved for people under 18, it can be prescribed off-label, saidSharon Nachman, MD, the division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.

“I think that people can make the case for young adults under age 18 that are sexually active, that there is a real concern for them to get vaccinated,” Nachman said.

Should You Get Vaccinated Before Traveling?

In Europe, travelers are being urged to get vaccinated if they are traveling to heavily impacted areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that eligible travelers going to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or neighboring countries get the vaccine.

There are no mpox vaccines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of the current outbreak. Despite the emergency declaration, the WHO has not approved the vaccines, though it has started the process for emergency use listing, which should speed up vaccine distribution once it is in effect.

This unequal distribution of mpox vaccines could lead to a preventable spread of the new strain, saidAlexandra Finch, LLM, an associate at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.

“This is a tale as old as time: That we let endemic diseases proliferate, and we don’t deal with them until they land in high-income countries,” Finch told Verywell. “The lesson is not so much how these particular set[s] of African communities are dealing with this particular outbreak. I think the story is that we stockpile effective technologies in high-income countries, while low-and-middle-income countries are forced to rely on those donations.”

What If You Never Got a Second Dose?

Vaccination is crucial in stopping the spread of mpox. However, only a quarter of the eligible Americans have completed the two-dose mpox vaccines.

Even though clade 1 cases haven’t been identified in the U.S., it’s important to complete the full series, Nachman said. If you’ve only received one dose, it’s never too late to get the second shot.

If you’ve already recovered from mpox, the risk of reinfection is extremely rare. Because of this, people who have recovered from mpox are not recommended to receive the Jynneos vaccine.

“When we think about [mpox], we talk about prevention, but there’s a downstream prevention piece as well: that if you are infected, get treated, so the cycle ends with you,” Nachman said.

What This Means For YouIf you are at risk of mpox, it’s important to get the two-dose Jynneos vaccines. Travelers heading to regions with mpox outbreaks should also consider vaccination to protect themselves and others.

What This Means For You

If you are at risk of mpox, it’s important to get the two-dose Jynneos vaccines. Travelers heading to regions with mpox outbreaks should also consider vaccination to protect themselves and others.

What Does an Mpox Rash Look Like?

5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Owens LE, Currie DW, Kramarow EA, et al.JYNNEOS vaccination coverage among persons at risk for mpox — United States, May 22, 2022–January 31, 2023.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(13):342-347. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7213a4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox: vaccination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clade I mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.Adepoju P.Mpox declared a public health emergency.Lancet. 2024;404(10454):e1-e2. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01751-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox Vaccine Recommendations.

5 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Owens LE, Currie DW, Kramarow EA, et al.JYNNEOS vaccination coverage among persons at risk for mpox — United States, May 22, 2022–January 31, 2023.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(13):342-347. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7213a4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox: vaccination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clade I mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.Adepoju P.Mpox declared a public health emergency.Lancet. 2024;404(10454):e1-e2. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01751-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox Vaccine Recommendations.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Owens LE, Currie DW, Kramarow EA, et al.JYNNEOS vaccination coverage among persons at risk for mpox — United States, May 22, 2022–January 31, 2023.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(13):342-347. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7213a4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox: vaccination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clade I mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.Adepoju P.Mpox declared a public health emergency.Lancet. 2024;404(10454):e1-e2. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01751-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox Vaccine Recommendations.

Owens LE, Currie DW, Kramarow EA, et al.JYNNEOS vaccination coverage among persons at risk for mpox — United States, May 22, 2022–January 31, 2023.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(13):342-347. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7213a4

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox: vaccination.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clade I mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.

Adepoju P.Mpox declared a public health emergency.Lancet. 2024;404(10454):e1-e2. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01751-3

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mpox Vaccine Recommendations.

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