Monkeypox gets a new name; vaccination requirements change

SAN FRANCISCO - As state health care workers work to slow the spread of what they're now calling 'm-pox,' also known as monkeypox, some are getting familiar with changes made to the vaccination doses.

Health officials said they are using a new method of splitting doses. One dose of the vaccine will now work for as many as five people to help alleviate the shortage.

According to officials, the ‘intradermal’ dose is administered in the front of the arm, instead of the back.

Doctors say the shots are smaller, but they are just as effective even at one-fifth of the dosage.

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"This was approved by the FDA based on a study was done a few years ago in preparation for this exact scenario--a possible outbreak of monkeypox that would require dose sparing," said Dr. Jennifer Tong of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. "The immune response was just as strong."

The Bay Area continues to be a hot spot for the virus, with San Francisco alone reporting more than 600 cases.

On Friday state health officials confirmed they are now calling the diseases m-pox or mpx.

That change comes after the World Health Organization called for a new term to try to make the virus less stigmatizing and discriminatory.