Vaccine approach for human monkeypox over the years and current recommendations to prevent the outbreak: a rapid review

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization has declared human monkeypox as a global health emergency on 23 July 2022. This indicates that the outbreak poses a serious risk to global health and requires a united worldwide response to stop the virus from spreading and possibly turning into a pandemic. Vaccines can play a vital role in this context, contributing to pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis. Methods: The aim of our rapid review was to go through the background of the vaccine approach for human monkeypox over the years and to find out what current guidelines are highlighting relating to it. A rapid review with a systematic search and manual searching have been performed here. Results: 22 relevant published articles from MEDLINE bibliographic database and 8 vaccine recommendations from manual searching have been deliberated here. Conclusion: The significant synopsis of this review is that the smallpox vaccine is the only immunization option for monkeypox so far, and it is up to 85% effective to prevent the infection. Third-generation smallpox vaccines are advised over first and second generations due to their minimal side effects. Healthcare providers and lab professionals at risk are on the priority list to get vaccinated, as well as pregnant women or lactating mothers, and immunocompromised or chronically ill patients can get vaccinated if they are surely exposed to the monkeypox infection. Lastly, JYNNEOS/IMVAMUNE is the current most preferable smallpox vaccine that is highly advised for the latest outbreak of human monkeypox but more clinical trials on humans should be conducted to evaluate its safety, efficacy, and adverse events.