Background document for the SAGE October 2022 session on monkeypox vaccines
Background document to the Vaccines and immunization for monkeypox interim guidance
Overview
In April 2022, a Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization Working Group on
smallpox and monkeypox vaccines was established to advise the World Health Organization
(WHO) on the use of smallpox vaccines and update the 2013 recommendations on smallpox
vaccines.
In May 2022, a multi-country outbreak of monkeypox began and rapidly spread
around the world. In response to the 2022 monkeypox multicounty outbreak, an interim
guidance on vaccines and immunization for monkeypox was published on 24 June 2022 and
updated on the 24th of August.
This background document has been prepared by the SAGE working group on smallpox and
monkeypox vaccines to inform the discussions of SAGE at its 3-7 October 2022 meeting.
