Mpox Outbreak

Cases of mpox have continued to rise since May 2022 when the virus was reported in areas throughout the United States and globally. Mpox is a viral disease spread through close and intimate contact. On August 14, 2024 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the most recent upsurge in a new strain of mpox cases had reached the level of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). This resource center provides access to countermeasures and patient care considerations for the ongoing mpox outbreak.

In response to advocacy from ASHP and other pharmacy organizations, HHS has authorized pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians supervised by a pharmacist, to prescribe, dispense, or administer vaccines and therapeutics for smallpox (variola virus), mpox virus, or other orthopoxviruses. The authorization extends to pharmacists and technicians whose licensure has lapsed or expired in the past five years. HHS used its authority under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act in order to improve access to vaccines and treatments necessary to address the mpox outbreak.

Vaccination may be recommended for individuals who may have close personal contact with someone infected with mpox based on risk factors (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis – PrEP) or who may have been exposed to the virus (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis – PEP). Individuals who have recovered from mpox are not recommended to receive vaccination and boosters are not currently recommended. For more information, visit CDC Considerations for Mpox Vaccination.

Updated on August 29, 2024