More than a month: Prioritizing LGBTQ+ health year-round

The call to care for ourselves and our communities continues year-round.

BAVARIAN NORDIC

OUT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 15 2025 12:27 PM EST

As Summer draws to a close, we bid farewell to another Pride month. But, while some celebrations are over for now, the call to care for ourselves and our communities continues year-round.

Staying proactive about our health and wellbeing is part of the LGBTQ+ experience and legacy. It is an act of self-care to stay informed and to support one another. These are also acts of resistance and resilience. As a community, we must remain vigilant. Why? Because, in this community, the stakes are higher.

This includes staying informed about our health and wellness, including testing, screening and staying up-to-date on recommended vaccines that can help protect at-risk individuals against infectious diseases that disproportionately impact the LGTBQ+ community.¹

Among these infectious diseases is mpox, a viral disease that is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact.^1,2 Recent outbreaks of mpox globally have disproportionately impacted men who have sex with men (MSM), highlighting the need for vaccination to help protect against the spread of the disease.^1,3 In fact, mpox was declared a public health emergency first in 2022 and again in 2024 according to the World Health Organization, or WHO.² 

While anyone can contract mpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those at higher risk include gay, bisexual, and other MSM, a person who has sex with gay, bisexual, or other MSM, who in the past six months have had any of the following:¹

• A new diagnosis of ≥ 1 sexually transmitted disease.
• More than one sex partner.
• Sex at a commercial sex venue.
• Sex in association with a large public event in a geographic area where mpox transmission is occurring.
• Sexual partners of persons with the aforementioned risks.
• Persons who anticipate experiencing any of the aforementioned.

Thankfully, there are ways that we can help contain the spread of mpox. While having open conversations with partners, avoiding close contact with people that may have mpox and washing hands are often effective strategies, one of the best ways to help prevent mpox infection is through vaccination.^1,4

Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine, JYNNEOS® (Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine, Live, Nonreplicating), is approved by the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of smallpox and mpox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection.^5,6 Those at higher risk of contracting mpox should receive two doses of JYNNEOS, ideally 28 days apart.¹ With full vaccination, studies have found that the effectiveness of JYNNEOS ranges from 66%-89%.⁷

Despite the fact that mpox continues to spread globally, including in the U.S., vaccination rates in the U.S. are low overall, with more than half of those at risk still unvaccinated.^2,8 It’s important we do our part in helping reduce the spread by protecting ourselves and others by getting vaccinated.¹

“Vaccination remains one of the best tools we have to help protect against the spread of mpox,” said Brian Hujdich, National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. “By raising awareness among our community and getting our mpox vaccinations if we haven’t already, we remain proud and healthy in caring for ourselves and each other.”

If you feel you may be at risk of mpox, ask your healthcare provider if vaccination is appropriate for you. You can receive the vaccine at your local pharmacy, doctor’s office or neighborhood health clinic. You can also visit JYNNEOS.com for more information.

So, as we continue reflecting on another Pride month, let’s stay committed to caring for ourselves and one another—because tending to our health is not just self-love, it’s an expression of Pride itself.

JYNNEOS Indication and Usage⁵

What is JYNNEOS?

JYNNEOS is a vaccine to help prevent smallpox and mpox disease in adults 18 years of age and older who are at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection.

What is the most important information I should know about taking JYNNEOS?

Severe allergic reactions are possible. Tell your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to JYNNEOS in the past. You may be at increased risk for having a severe allergic reaction to JYNNEOS. You and your doctor will decide if you should receive another dose of JYNNEOS. 

Fainting has been reported following vaccination with JYNNEOS. 

JYNNEOS may not protect everyone who receives the vaccine.

What information should I tell my healthcare provider?

Tell your healthcare provider if you have a condition or are on medicine that lowers your immune system response. This may affect how well JYNNEOS will work for you

Tell your healthcare provider if you may become pregnant or are breastfeeding.

How is JYNNEOS given?

Your healthcare provider will give you two doses of JYNNEOS, under your skin (subcutaneous injection), 4 weeks apart. It is important that you receive both doses. 

What are the most common side effects of JYNNEOS?

• The most common injection site side effects include pain, redness, swelling, hardening of the skin, and itching. 
• Other common side effects include muscle pain, headache, tiredness, nausea, and chills. 

These are not all the possible side effects of JYNNEOS. Patients should always ask their healthcare professionals for medical advice about the appropriate use of vaccines and adverse events. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bavarian Nordic at 1-833-365-9596 or the US Department of Health and Human Services by either visiting https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html or calling 1-800-822-7967.

Please see full Prescribing Information.

The National Coalition for LGBTQ Health partnered with Bavarian Nordic to share these important health messages. Visit https://healthlgbtq.org/mpox for additional mpox resources, including the mpox awareness campaign assets.

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1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, September 15). Monkeypox Vaccination. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/vaccines/index.html
2. World Health Organization. (n.d.). MPOX outbreak. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/mpox-ou…
3. Pollock ED, Clay PA, Keen A, et al. Potential for Recurrent Mpox Outbreaks in Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men — United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:568–573. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7221a1
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, December 11). Preventing Monkeypox. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/prevention/index.html
5. JYNNEOS Prescribing Information. https://bavariannordic.io/uploads/jynneos-pi.pdf
6. Commissioner, O. of the. (n.d.). FDA approves first live, non-replicating vaccine to prevent smallpox and Monkeypox. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20201222104023/https:/www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-live-non-replicating-vaccine-prevent-smallpox-and-monkeypox
7. Deputy, N. P., Deckert, J., Chard, A. N., Sandberg, N., Moulia, D. L., Barkley, E., Dalton, A. F., Sweet, C., Cohn, A. C., Little, D. R., Cohen, A. L., Sandmann, D., Payne, D. C., Gerhart, J. L., & Feldstein, L. R. (2023). Vaccine effectiveness of JYNNEOS against Mpox disease in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine, 388(26), 2434–2443. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2215201
8. Owens LE, Currie DW, Kramarow EA, et al. JYNNEOS Vaccination Coverage Among Persons at Risk for Mpox — United States, May 22, 2022–January 31, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:342–347. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7213a4