What to Expect After Your Monkeypox Vaccine
What You Need to Know about the Two-dose JYNNEOS Monkeypox Vaccine
• Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of
the same family of viruses as smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are like smallpox symptoms, but milder;
and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
• JYNNEOS (also called Imvamune or Imvanex) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to prevent monkeypox infection if you are 18 years or older.
• If given before exposure or within 4 days of exposure, JYNNEOS may reduce the chance of infection. If
given between 5 and 14 days after exposure, it may lower the severity of symptoms.
• You will not be fully vaccinated and getting the most benefit from this vaccine until 2 weeks after your
second shot of JYNNEOS.
• Once you’re vaccinated, you should continue to protect yourself from infection by avoiding close, skin-
to-skin contact, including sex or other intimate contact, with someone who has monkeypox.
Normal Side Effects You Might Experience
• If you are healthy the most common reactions are:
o Pain and redness at the injection site
o Swelling, firmness, or itching near the injection site
o Muscle pain
o Headache
o Fatigue
o Nausea
o Chills
• If you are an adult with HIV-infection or eczema, you are about as likely as those who don’t have those
conditions to experience the skin-related reactions listed above.
• Contraindications for JYNNEOS include severe or immediate reaction to any component of the vaccine
(e.g., gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, egg protein, benzonase).The risk for a severe allergic reaction should
be weighed against the risk for disease due to monkeypox.
• A person who is diagnosed with monkeypox virus infection after their first dose of JYNNEOS is not
recommended to receive the second dose at this time. A person who is eligible for the vaccine but has
been diagnosed with monkeypox during this outbreak, which started in the United States on May 17,
2022, is not recommended to be vaccinated at this time. If you had any reaction or side effect to the
first dose of vaccine, notify your health care provider and discuss the benefits and risk of getting the
second dose.
• Call 911 immediately if you experience symptoms of an allergic reaction. These symptoms may
include hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness, or
weakness. Report any reactions to your health care provider or to the Vaccine Adverse Event
Reporting System at 1-800-822-7967 or www.vaers.hhs.gov.
What You Should Do Today
• Today you will get your first of two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine. You should receive your second
dose in about 28 days. If you are in the local area, we can make an appointment for your second dose
now. Your second dose will only be held for you for about 5 weeks. If you are from another area, please
contact your local public health agency now to arrange to receive your second dose.
August 4, 2022
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• Remember to SAVE the letter you get today, documenting that you got your first dose. Take a photo
of it to store on your phone. Whoever gives your second dose will need documentation of your first
dose.
• You are not fully protected after just one dose of the vaccine. Two doses are required, and it will take
your body time to produce a protective immune response.
• The effectiveness of the JYNNEOS vaccine in the current 2022 outbreak is unknown. Public health
agencies are collecting data to study any side effects, the extent of protection, and whether the way a
person was infected changes how well the vaccine protects them.
• If you’ve been exposed it’s still possible that you can develop symptoms of monkeypox – even
if you’ve been vaccinated. Keep alert to the signs and symptoms!
Source: NCDC, CDC, UKHSA and WHO
• The rash (such as on the lips, genitals or face) goes through different stages of development before
healing completely. Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only
experience a rash. *Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.
• The time from infection to onset of symptoms (incubation period) for monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13
days but can range from 5 to 21 days. It can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has
fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.
• Keep informed about the signs and symptoms of monkeypox and tell your health care provider for
possible testing and symptom management if you develop any of these.
• Please be sure to protect yourself from monkeypox during the time you wait for your second dose. Be
sure to get your second dose.
Take the Following Steps to Prevent Getting Monkeypox
• Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with the monkeypox rash.
o Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox.
o Do not kiss, hug, cuddle, or have sex with someone with monkeypox.
o Do not share eating utensils or cups.
• Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a sick person.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after
contact with sick people.
• Some people may experience side effects more severely and/or for a longer duration. Please talk to a
health care professional if you do not feel well after 2 or 3 days.
What if I have more questions? Contact your health care provider, refer to the Vaccine Information
Statement given to you and the JYNNEOS package insert: https://www.fda.gov/media/131078/download.
