Mpox Vaccination Protection Fades Within 6-12 Months, Study Finds

Strategic Insights -

As mpox vaccination efforts are underway to combat a rapidly spreading outbreak in Africa, researchers have found that antibodies provided by the vaccine disappear within six to 12 months, highlighting the need for boosters to maintain strong protection. The mpox virus, previously known as monkeypox, is a fast-spreading virus transmitted mainly through close skin-to-skin contact, especially during sex, and has symptoms such as fever, painful rashes or sores, and swollen lymph nodes. A new strain of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern, with over 5,265 confirmed cases, 18,737 suspected cases, and 617 deaths reported in 14 African countries as of September 1.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that antibodies provided by mpox vaccination disappear within six to 12 months, highlighting the need for boosters to maintain strong protection.
  • The mpox vaccine, Jynneos, provided protection against the virus for a limited period, but larger human studies are needed to assess the vaccine's effectiveness over time.
  • Public health officials gave priority for vaccination to groups at particular risk for mpox, including people with new or multiple sex partners, men who have sex with other men, healthcare workers, and lab personnel.
  • The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the emergence of a new, potentially more severe, strain of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • The study emphasizes the importance of completing the recommended two-dose mpox vaccine series, regardless of the time between doses, to boost immunity.

Statistics:

  • As of September 1, there were over 5,265 confirmed cases, 18,737 suspected cases, and 617 deaths associated with the mpox outbreak in 14 African countries.
  • Researchers gauged immune responses over 12 months in 45 people who got mpox shots during the 2022 outbreak or had a confirmed diagnosis of mpox.
  • The study found that vaccine-generated protection largely waned within six to 12 months.

Sources:

  • Beth Israel Lahey Health, news release, October 3, 2024
  • Journal of the American Medical Association
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Massachusetts Consortium for Pathogen Readiness
  • NIAID Division of Intramural Research