By Julie Steenhuysen

(Reuters] -The Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that the agency had given instructions to Bavarian Nordic, a manufacturer of monkeypox vaccines, to supply an additional 36,000 doses of this vaccine as part of a withdrawal from a U.S. stockpile.

HHS released a statement stating that these doses will be added in to the 36,000 currently held by the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile.

Jynneos from Bavarian Nordic is approved for treating both smallpox (monkeypox) and largepox.

HHS supported the Danish company in developing the vaccine. The vaccine is still available to the public. HHS stated that another 16.4 million vaccine doses could be produced if necessary.

Dawn O’Connell, an HHS official, stated that Bavarian Nordic is able to store the vaccine at lower temperatures than what’s possible after it has been placed in the stockpile. This will extend the vaccine’s shelf-life by approximately two years.

ACAM2000 is a smallpox vaccine developed by Emergent BioSolutions Inc that can also be used against monkeypox.

On June 3, approximately 1200 vaccines were distributed and about 100 treatment courses had been completed in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 25 cases in America of monkeypox. On Friday, the agency urged U.S. physicians to test for monkeypox in cases suspected of being caused by community spread. However, it stated that there was no overall health risk and recommended testing.

According to Reuters data and World Health Organization reporting, there have been outbreaks in around 30 countries, where monkeypox does not endemic. There are more than 9000 confirmed cases, mostly in Europe.