Vaccination and vaccine

Here you’ll find information on the vaccination recommendation, administering the vaccine and protective measures after vaccination.

Vaccine recommendation
Administering the vaccine
Vaccine
Protecting yourself after the vaccination
Documents, Links

Vaccine recommendation

The goals of the monkeypox vaccination and control strategy are to prevent severe cases of the disease, complications and deaths, and to break infection chains.

In association with the Federal Commission for Vaccination (FCV) we recommend vaccination for the following population groups:

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people aged 18 or over:

for men who have sex with men and trans people with changing sexual partners;
for specifically designated people who are exposed to monkeypox viruses in connection with their work and who are at risk of being infected with monkeypox despite taking precautions (for example healthcare professionals and staff in specialist laboratories).

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for people aged 18 or over:

for contacts and for healthcare and laboratory staff following a relevant risky exposure with a confirmed/probable monkeypox case.

No vaccine recommendation is currently planned for any additional population groups.

Further information

Analytical framework and recommendations on the monkeypox virus: information on health professionals page (in German, in French)

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Administering the vaccine

The vaccine is given by subcutaneous injection.

Only in the event of a vaccine shortage would it be injected intradermally, as intradermal injection requires less vaccine. The vaccination success rate is the same for both forms of administration. Intradermal administration may only be performed by specially trained staff.

As part of the process of obtaining informed patient consent, it is important to notify patients of potential local side-effects in addition to the usual information.

Detailed information on the administration of the vaccine:

SOP Vaccination against monkeypox (PDF, 402 kB, 02.11.2022)

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The monkeypox vaccine

The vaccine, which is marketed under the name MVA-BN®, Imvanex® or Jynneos® is a third-generation non-replicating live attenuated smallpox vaccine. It is manufactured by Bavarian Nordic based on the modified vaccinia virus strain, and is known as ‘Modified Vaccinia Ankara – Bavarian Nordic’ (MVA-BN®). The virus is attenuated through multiple passages in chicken embryo fibroblast cells, leading to a substantial loss of its genome and replication capability in human cells. The vaccine does not contain any adjuvant or preservative.

Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos® vaccine is now available in Switzerland. Responsibility for administering the vaccination rests with the cantons, who are determining the vaccination locations and are organising and conducting the vaccination programme. You will find the contact details of the various cantonal health authorities and their prime points of contact on the page Monkeypox: vaccination & treatment (admin.ch).

Bavarian Nordic will shortly be submitting an application to Swissmedic for the vaccine’s approval in Switzerland.

The Jynneos® vaccination is initially being administered in Switzerland on an off-label basis without authorisation. Off-label means that Swissmedic has not approved the product in Switzerland and the vaccination is administered without technical or patient information specific to Switzerland. Off-label use is possible if the vaccination recommendation takes into account the latest scientific findings and the person to be vaccinated consents to the vaccination.

We strongly recommend that people who wish to be vaccinated sign a written consent form.

The usual liability rules also apply to Jynneos®: liability for vaccination damage could fall to the vaccine manufacturer (product liability), the vaccination centre (agent’s contract liability or state liability) or, on a subsidiary basis in accordance with the Epidemics Act, the federal government (subsidiary liability).

You will find further information on the legal basis at Rechtliche Grundlagen im medizinischen Alltag (legal bases of everyday medical practice; German, French and Italian only) | FMH.

Adverse vaccine reactions

Local and systemic adverse vaccine reactions (AVRs) are usually mild to moderate and short-lived. Common AVRs are:

Headache and muscle pain
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue
Localised discomfort at the injection site: pain, redness, hardening, itching, discoloration/bruising
Chills
Fever
Joint pain/aching limbs
Loss of appetite

Information on additional as well as severe AVRs is available in German and in French.

Contraindications

The only absolute contraindications to MVA-BN® are currently known intolerances/allergies to the vaccine components, including egg protein, Trometamol, Gentamicin, Benzonase and Ciprofloxacin. In the case of severe allergies to egg protein, we recommend prior consultation with an allergist before receiving the MVA-BN® vaccine.

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Protecting yourself after the vaccination

Protection is not built up immediately after vaccination but has to develop first. Because people’s immune systems react differently to vaccination, their level of protection can also vary.

The vaccination does not provide absolute protection from infection. It is also not clear how long the protection afforded by the vaccine lasts. For this reason protective measures are recommended even after vaccination.

Information on protective measures: Monkeypox: how to protect yourself

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