The Los Angeles Post

Officials inject $11M into monkeypox vax production

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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday announced it is providing about $11 million of funding to support domestic production of the Jynneos smallpox vaccine being used to limit the spread of the ongoing monkeypox outbreak.

 

HHS said in a statement that the funds would be used to support manufacturing at the Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (GRAM) facility in Grand Rapids, Mich.

 

Where the funds go: According to the department, these funds will allow the GRAM to purchase additional equipment necessary to manufacture the smallpox vaccine as well as help accelerate production.

 

“This new agreement solidifies a domestic manufacturing capability that will bring us more vaccine sooner to end this outbreak,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said.

  • The announcement comes a little over a week after an agreement between GRAM and Bavarian Nordic, the Danish company that makes Jynneos, was made public. HHS said this agreement would allow for 2.5 million of the
    5.5 million ordered Jynneos vials to be filled within the U.S.
  • Last week, health authorities both in the U.S. and on the global stage said there were early indications that monkeypox cases were beginning to trend down.