New York State Department of Health Commissioner James McDonald Signs Standing Order Authorizing Pharmacists to Administer Mpox Vaccine Without a Patient-Specific Prescription

Standing Order Expands Upon Previous Determination Adding JYNNEOS Vaccine to List of Vaccines Allowed to be Administered by Pharmacists

Department Released a Health Advisory to Health Care Providers on September 5 Outlining the Importance of Rapid Clade-Specific Testing

ALBANY, N.Y. (September 6, 2024) – The New York State Department of Health today announced that State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald has issued a statewide standing order allowing pharmacists in New York State to administer the JYNNEOS vaccine to adults aged 18 and older to protect against mpox without a separate prescription from a physician. The standing order increases access to the safe and effective vaccine as the Department monitors mpox in New York State and a more transmissible variant of mpox that is currently circulating in countries in Africa.

"My standing order allows individuals to get their JYNNEOS vaccine from a pharmacist without first seeking a physician—greatly increasing access to this important layer of protection as we remain vigilant and continue to monitor mpox in the U.S. and abroad," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "Pharmacists are an important component of our overall health care system and remain a center point of accessible care in our communities."

Allowing individuals to receive the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine without a prescription at participating pharmacies increases accessibility to the vaccine and will protect more individuals from mpox.

While cases in New York remain low, health officials are remaining vigilant as a new, more virulent variant of mpox known as clade I is currently circulating in countries in Africa. The clade I variant has demonstrated higher rates of transmissibility and severity than the strain connected to the 2022 outbreak, known as clade II. There are currently no known cases of the clade I mpox variant anywhere in the U.S.

The Department released a health advisory to health care providers on September 5 outlining the importance of rapid clade-specific testing of individuals exhibiting symptoms of mpox with travel history to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or neighboring countries or those who have had exposure to travelers from these areas. Confirmed or suspected cases of mpox are reportable to the local health department (LHD) of the county in which the patient resides.

Vaccination with the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine is effective in providing immunity to both clade I and II mpox variants. The vaccine can also reduce the severity of symptoms—including hospitalization and pain from skin lesions—in individuals who get either variant of mpox. Further, vaccination within a few days after exposure to mpox provides adequate protection against mpox.

This standing order expands upon a previous determination by the State Department of Health and the State Education Department that added the JYNNEOS vaccine to the list of vaccines pharmacists can administer.

Mpox vaccine information is available here.

More information on the clade I mpox variant can be found here.

The State Department of Health has posted resources regarding mpox here.

Information for individuals who become sick or exposed to mpox can be found here.