NYC To Switch To New Monkeypox Vaccine Method, Heath Officials Say

NEW YORK CITY — A new way of injecting the monkeypox vaccine will help New York City free up more doses of the hard-to-get shot, health officials said.

Intradermal, or shallow, injections will be used starting Wednesday with more than 12,000 doses in the city after federal officials authorized its use for the Jynneos vaccine, officials said.

The method will stretch out the city's still-meager monkeypox vaccine supply because it yields up to five times the amount of doses per vial, according to the city Department of Health.

“As we continue to see a scarcity of federal supply of monkeypox vaccines, we must adapt to provide a range of options to those who are vaccine-eligible, and to do so in an equitable way,” city Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in a statement. “The Health Department is working to balance these considerations and the concerns we’ve heard from community advocates under supply constraints.

People will be able to sign up or request new first-dose public appointments at 6 p.m. tomorrow at vax4nyc.gov/monkeypox and by calling (877) VAX-4NYC. More doses available will allow for second dose availability within the next week, the DOH announced.

The monkeypox intradermal vaccine will be available to people 18 years and older, a DOH release states.

Appointments will take place Thursday through Sept. 3 and additional appointments will be made for New Yorkers within prioritized populations that have elevated risk of infection via direct enrollment at community events, while continuing to use the subcutaneous method, which penetrates between the skin and muscle, the DOH added.

For more on MPV, go to: www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/monkeypox.page.