Anyone living in, or traveling to, an area where monkeypox is found should consider getting the monkeypox vaccine. This vaccine, which is called Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine, Live, was approved by the U. S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 and is the only method of protection for this virus. It is recommended for people over the age of 18 living in or traveling to an area of West and Central Africa where monkeypox is endemically found.
It is also recommended for anyone who may have contact with non-human primates or who have skin-to-skin contact with a person infected with monkeypox. The vaccine is given in two doses three to four weeks apart and is most effective if given two to three weeks prior to potential exposure to the virus. The protection the vaccine offers is thought to last at least three years, although this is still being explored.
Pregnant women should not be vaccinated for monkeypox due to potential risks.