Opinion: The monkeypox vaccine underscores the value of U.S. investments in preparedness

After living through the Covid-19 epidemic, many people around the world reacted to the sudden spread of monkeypox with understandable dismay. But while researchers and public health experts are still learning more about this outbreak, there is one critical distinction between monkeypox and Covid-19: a safe and effective vaccine has been ready and on the shelf from the start, thanks to a long-standing U.S. public-private partnership aimed at preparing for the worst biological threats, whether naturally occurring or deliberate.

The U.S. government’s engagement in the development of medical countermeasures began in earnest after the September 11 attacks on the United States. In September and October 2001, at least five envelopes containing spores of Bacillus anthracis, a species of bacteria, were mailed to the offices of U.S. senators in Washington D.C. and to journalists in New York and Boca Raton, Florida. These spores cause anthrax, a deadly disease. The resulting infections killed five people, including two postal workers, a hospital employee, a journalist, and a 94-year-old woman who was exposed by cross-contaminated mail.

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