The number of new COVID-19 positive cases continues to decline and remains at double digits, and the Health Department has received its first shipment of the monkeypox vaccine for American Samoa, according to the latest DoH Situational Report presented at Tuesday afternoon’s COVI-19 Task Force briefing.
Samoa News reported during its last Tuesday’s task force briefing, that DoH presented an update on the monkeypox virus, which includes, American Samoa’s Medical Response Plan; training of doctors and nurses; and that the DoH laboratory is designated the primary testing lab for this new virus.
DoH further announced that it received 20 vials of the monkeypox vaccine — JYNNEOS – on Aug. 13.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the preferred vaccine to protect against monkeypox is JYNNEOS, which is a two-dose vaccine. It takes 14 days after getting the second dose of JYNNEOS for its immune protection to reach its maximum.
The second vaccine is ACAM2000, and CDC said it may be an alternative to JYNNEOS. ACAM2000 is a single-dose vaccine, and it takes four weeks after vaccination for its immune protection to reach its maximum.
“However, it has the potential for more side effects and adverse events than JYNNEOS. It is not recommended for people with severely weakened immune systems and several other conditions,” said CDC’s public health information data.
