Chicago health officials plan to prioritize the first doses of the monkeypox vaccine—and delay scheduling the second shots—to give as many people as possible their first dose of protection against the spreading virus, The Chicago Tribune reported.
The biggest increase in protection comes from the first dose, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said July 22.
“This is the right approach,” Arwady said. “We’ve looked at all the data and feel that that is the best way to control this outbreak.”
The city’s strategy follows those of other cities, such as San Francisco and New York City, that have chosen to use their limited vaccine supply to inject as many people as possible with first doses to offer the broadest measure of protection.
As of July 22, there were 202 cases of monkeypox in Chicago and 230 reported in the state overall—putting Illinois among the top five states in the country, the city’s health department said.