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CDC opening applications for Monkeypox Vaccine Equity Pilot Program
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Program developed to support innovative, non-traditional ways to address disparities in vaccination
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0915-mpx-vaccine-equity.html
Press Release
For Immediate Release: Thursday, September 15, 2022
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
Today, local, state, and territorial health departments, as well as tribal governments and local non-governmental organizations, can partner together and begin submitting requests to access monkeypox vaccine through the recently announced Monkeypox Vaccine Equity Pilot Program. This new pilot program is intended to reach populations that may face barriers to monkeypox vaccination, which may include differences in language, location of vaccination sites, vaccine hesitancy, mistrust of government, lack of access to on-line scheduling technology, accessibility/disability issues, immigration status, and stigma.
"We have a responsibility to address inequities that have been highlighted by this outbreak, and this program will help make a difference," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., M.P.H. "This outbreak is affecting members of the gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men community at an unequal rate, and it has disproportionately affected the Black and Hispanic communities. Distributing monkeypox vaccines in a way that addresses and reduces these disparities is the goal of this program and is a high priority for CDC and our public health partners."
Up to 50,000 doses of JYNNEOS vaccine have been allocated for the Monkeypox Vaccine Equity Pilot program. Successful proposals will demonstrate new, innovative ways to reach populations that are most affected by monkeypox based on local or national data. Projects should prioritize groups:
• with risk factors that increase their chances of getting or spreading monkeypox,
• who are over-represented among monkeypox cases and less likely to be vaccinated, and
• whose barriers to vaccination may be addressed by the activities proposed.
Special consideration will be given to projects addressing disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people who face barriers in accessing vaccines. Examples include pop-ups and other events associated with community-based organizations (CBOs) or clinics that work with MSM and transgender people, especially those who are Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino, who are not reached by current allocations or vaccine administration channels
This new pilot, which is in addition to the large event program, seeks to break down barriers and address disparities in communities where differences in monkeypox vaccination have been identified. Together, these two pilots allow the federal government to reach as many people as possible with monkeypox vaccination. If a pilot successfully reaches the intended populations, the jurisdiction will be encouraged to adapt this model for broader implementation with future federally allocated vaccine distributions. This process will allow CDC and its public health partners to determine new, successful methods of delivering care to the communities most at need, which will help alleviate the effects of the current outbreak and potentially develop repeatable methods that can be used to avoid these inequities in the future as well.
Local health departments and organizations interested in applying should contact their state or territorial health departments or tribal governments.
More information, including details on the application, can be found here.
Examples of Equity Projects That May Qualify:
• Pop-ups and other events associated with community-based organizations (CBOs) or clinics that work with MSM and transgender and gender-diverse people who have sex with men, especially those who are Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino, who are not reached by current allocations or vaccine administration channels
• Small events reaching priority populations (e.g., concerts or parties catering to the population of disproportionately affected, underserved individuals including house and kiki balls from the local LGBTQ+ ballroom community)
• Other activities in settings where monkeypox is known to be spreading (e.g., venues at which intimate or sexual contact might occur, nightclubs, and bars frequented by the priority population)
• 'Vaccine clinics' at pharmacies, especially independent pharmacies in rural areas or areas with demonstrated vaccination disparities based on Social Vulnerability Index or other local data
https://aspr.hhs.gov/SNS/Pages/JYNNEOS-Distribution.aspx
On August 22, 2022, an additional 360,000 vials of JYNNEOS vaccine were allocated to jurisdictions under phase 4 of the National Monkeypox Vaccine Strategy. Allocations for phase 4 are based on a revised strategy using cases reported (50% weight) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of August 18, 2022, and the estimated size of the underlying population in the jurisdiction that might benefit from expanded vaccination at this point in the outbreak (50% weight). This underlying population currently includes gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, people with HIV or who are eligible for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (HIV PrEP).
Distribution of vials will occur between August 22 and September 30, in three tranches, with each tranche comprised of one-third of the jurisdiction's phase 4 allocation. Jurisdiction may request access to tranches one, two, and three with an attestation to having utilized at least 85% of vials received to date.
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