Mpox, previously called Monkeypox, is a virus related to the smallpox virus.

JYNNEOS is a 2-dose vaccine developed to protect against mpox and smallpox infections. People need to get both doses of the vaccine for the best protection against mpox. The second dose should be given 4 weeks after the first dose.

It takes two weeks after being vaccinated to be the most protected.

After you have been vaccinated, continue to avoid anyone with an active mpox infection.

It is not known yet how long protection against mpox will last or if protection decreases over time.

Click here to schedule your mpox vaccine at Springfield pharmacy.

Common Mpox Myths

At Springfield Pharmacy, we believe it’s important to dispel the stigma surrounding mpox. The following are myths that you shouldn’t believe. This information has been provided by www.mdanderson.org.

1. Myth: Mpox is a new disease.

Fact: Mpox was first identified in monkeys in 1958 and the first case in humans was recorded in the 1970s. First cases appeared in the U.S. in 2003.

2. Myth: You can get mpox from being in a crowd or swimming pool.

Fact: Mpox cannot be spread through water, nor does it linger in the air. Mpox is transmitted through close, direct contact with lesions, contact with a contaminated item (such as towels, clothing, bedding, etc.), and saliva or large respiratory droplets. This means that if you are in a crowded space with prolonged person-to-person contact, your risk of contracting mpox from an infected individual increases.

3. Myth: Mpox is deadly.

Fact: Although the mpox virus is related to smallpox, mpox is rarely fatal. The number of deaths attributable to mpox from the 2022 outbreak is still in the single digits worldwide, and no deaths have occurred in the U.S.

However, symptoms can be unpleasant and severe in some patients, so it’s important to protect yourself from contracting mpox.

4. Myth: Mpox is a sexually transmitted disease.

Fact: Person-to-person transmission of mpox is through close, direct contact with the lesions, rash, scabs or certain bodily fluids of someone who has mpox. This description could certainly apply to sexual activity, but exposure can also occur when people share a household or are in close physical proximity. While mpox can be transmitted during sex, it does not only require sexual intercourse to be transmitted.

5. Myth: Only gay and bisexual men can get mpox.

Fact: ANYONE can get mpox. To date, mpox has disproportionately affected the LGBTQ+ community, but it can affect anyone who is unvaccinated, regardless of sexual orientation or partners.

This myth is stigmatizing the LGBTQ+ community and implies that people who are not a part of this community do not have to care about mpox, which is dangerous misinformation.

6. Myth: The mpox vaccine is new.

Fact: Jynneos, also known as imvanex/imvamune, was approved for the prevention of both smallpox and mpox in 2019.

Who should get the mpox vaccine?

The CDC recommends the mpox vaccine for people who meet any of the following criteria:

• You had known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox.
• You had a sex partner in the past 2 weeks who was diagnosed with mpox.
• You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men, or are a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse person who has had any of the following within the past 2 weeks:
  • More than one sex partner.
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse).
  • Sex at an event, venue, or in an area (city or county for example) where mpox transmission is occurring.
• You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men or a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse person who in the past 6 months has had any of the following:
  • A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., HIV, chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis).
  • More than one sex partner.
• In the past 6 months:
  • You had sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse).
  • You had sex at an event, venue, or in an area (city or county for example) where mpox transmission is occurring.
• You have a sex partner who identifies with any of the above scenarios.
• You anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios.
• You work with orthopoxviruses in a laboratory or are part of an orthopoxvirus and health care worker response team.

How is the vaccine given?

The vaccine will be given between the top layers of your skin; this is called an intradermal vaccination. It can be placed in your forearm or other areas, including your upper back just below the shoulder blade or the skin of your shoulder above the deltoid muscle.

If you have ever had keloid scars or are under 18, the vaccine may be given to you subcutaneously.

There are many immune cells in the skin tissue just underneath the top layer of your skin. When a vaccine is given between the layers of skin, you can generate a strong immune response using a smaller amount of vaccine. Both ways of administration, intradermal and subcutaneous, have been shown to provide equal protection against mpox.

Is the mpox vaccine free?

Yes, mpox vaccines are free. We may bill a program or plan that covers the mpox vaccine administration fee (like your private insurance or Medicare/Medicaid), but there is no cost to the patient.

What are the side effects?

Some people have no side effects after the mpox vaccine. The most common side effects after JYNNEOS vaccination are pain, redness, and itching at the spot where the vaccine is given. You might also experience fever, headache, tiredness, nausea, chills, and muscle aches. These are signs that your immune system is responding, not that you’re getting sick.

When JYNNEOS vaccine is given intradermally, some people have reported less pain after vaccination but more side effects like itching, swelling, redness, thickening of the skin, and skin discoloration at the spot where the vaccine was given. Some of these side effects may last for several weeks.

Get vaccinated at Springfield Pharmacy.

Questions? Give us a call!

All information provided by www.cdc.gov.