12 October 2022

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HHS authorizes dentists to administer smallpox, monkeypox vaccines

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra recently amended the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act declaration for smallpox medical countermeasures. With this expansion, HHS has authorized dentists to administer vaccines and therapeutics against smallpox, monkeypox virus and other orthopoxviruses in a declared emergency, according to a news release.

HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O'Connell said that the supply of JYNNEOS vaccine is now exceeding demand in all 50 states. 

“By expanding the pool of providers who can administer monkeypox vaccines, we can increase equitable access for people at high risk for monkeypox infections who have not yet had an opportunity to get vaccinated," she said. 

Dentists and other providers must complete outlined training and supervision to administer these vaccines and therapeutics. The list of authorized providers also now includes advanced or intermediate emergency medical technicians, licensed or certified professional midwives, optometrists, pharmacists and other health care professionals. 

The amended declaration can be found in the Federal Register and answers to frequently asked questions about the monkeypox Prep Act can be found on ASPR's website.

Jurisdictions across the country have ordered approximately 835,700 vials of the approximately 1.1 million vials of JYNNEOS vaccine HHS had allocated to prevent monkeypox.