New U.S. monkeypox vaccine strategy offers uncertainty: media

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The new U.S. monkeypox vaccine strategy, which aims to stretch the U.S. vaccine supply, offers more doses and uncertainty, said a report of the National Public Radio (NPR).

After a bumpy start, the Joe Biden administration is trying to smooth out the vaccination campaign aimed at controlling the country's growing monkeypox outbreak, said the report.

The effort now rests on a new and untested strategy of dividing up what were previously full doses in order to stretch the limited stockpile of vaccines in the country.

Already facing the expected logistical hurdles of running a vaccine campaign in a public health emergency, health officials now have to tackle another challenge: how to squeeze five doses out of single-dose vials, said the report.

The change poses challenges with messaging and logistics -- training providers and getting the right equipment -- and it raises concerns among some over equity as early vaccine data rolls in, showing significant racial disparities, according to the report.