Real-World Data Shines in Monkeypox Vaccine Efforts

October 14, 2022

Much like the COVID-19 pandemic, the global monkeypox outbreak and subsequent vaccine development and distribution efforts have highlighted the utility of real-world data (RWD). An example has been the push towards intradermal administration of Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos monkeypox vaccine, a move done to stretch reserves in the midst of a then-pressing shortage. RWD has helped researchers investigate this application despite not having major randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

According to Girisha Fernando, “While the spread of monkeypox has slowed, the United States is still seeing about 200 new cases a day, and has been the location of one-third of all cases globally. It is against this backdrop that researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and elsewhere are taking the opportunity to track data to see how well the Jynneos vaccine works at its lower dose amid actual exposure to the disease. The National Institutes of Health, in cooperation with the FDA, will also gather and study data on the intradermal injections to determine their effectiveness. In the face of real risk of infection as the virus continues to spread, being able to see whether or not those who get vaccinated also get infected will show how well the vaccine works (or doesn’t work) in its new dosing form.”

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