Our Trust part of National Monkeypox vaccine trial
23 August 2022
Eligible patients will be offered smaller but equally effective doses of the vaccine, stretching existing supplies to protect more people in our local communities.
We are one of three NHS sites to begin a pilot offering eligible patients smaller but equally effective doses of the vaccine used for the UK’s monkeypox outbreak, stretching existing supplies to protect more people.
The safe and clinically-approved approach, known as ‘fractional dosing’, has been commonly used in other worldwide outbreaks when vaccine supplies are constrained.
Fractional dosing could maximise the number of doses that can be administered without compromising protection, with clinical study results showing it provides a near-identical immune response in patients.
Under the approach, eligible people aged 18 and over will be offered a 0.1ml dose of the smallpox Jynneos vaccine, instead of the 0.5ml dose that is typically administered. This will potentially enable up to a 5-fold increase in the number of people that can be offered vaccination.
Fractional dosing has recently been authorised in the US by the Federal Drug Administration for its own monkeypox response. The European Medicines Agency Emergency Task Force has also approved the approach.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reviewed the evidence in detail alongside the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and is now working with NHS England to test the feasibility of the approach at pilot clinics in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, and Locala Health and Wellbeing in Greater Manchester.
Our Trust will contact those eligible for the vaccine to invite them to come forward.