George Washington University is looking for teens between the ages of 12 and 17 to participate in a study that will evaluate the efficacy of the mpox vaccine in young people.

As one of 18 different clinical trial sites in the National Institutes of Health-sponsored study, George Washington University’s Research Vaccine Unit will recruit roughly 315 teens and administer the standard dose of the mpox vaccine (called JYNNEOS) currently approved for use in adults over 18. Infectious disease investigators will monitor the participants for safety and antibody response over the course of 13 months.

A 2022 outbreak of mpox, which presents with flu-like symptoms before eventually developing into a rash, swept several parts of the country last year. While the number of new mpox cases has dropped off sharply in the past several months  — D.C. has recorded only one new infection since January 2023 — scientists said having an approved vaccine for young people will prevent spread should another outbreak occur.

The outbreak in the region last year primarily occurred in men between the ages of 25-49, although some children around the region contract mpox. One child visiting D.C. from the U.K. was diagnosed with mpox in July, and according to the city’s data, between zero and four D.C. residents under the age of 18 have contracted the virus. Virginia has documented 14 cases of the virus in people ages 15-19 and Maryland recorded 14 total cases in individuals younger than 20.

Mpox is primarily spread through close, skin-to-skin contact with an infectious rash, sore, or lesion, or through prolonged face-to-face contact. While the majority of people in D.C contracting the virus during its peak last summer were men who have sex with men, officials stressed that anyone — regardless of sexuality — can get or spread the virus. Some people worried that the outbreak was going to spread into the city’s schools come fall, and although this never ended up happening, the GW Vaccine Unit said the current study should help ensure that teens are protected in the case of a surge.

“It’s just a matter of time before there’s going to be another outbreak in the U.S. and there’s nothing to say that it won’t be transmitted in a previously known way, which is just through physical contact,” said David Diemert, the clinical director of GW’s Research Vaccine Unit. “If it gets into a school … if it got into the student population, it could be a huge public health issue.”

The JYNNEOS vaccine was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019, and and the agency granted it emergency-use authorization for people under 18 in 2022. The current trial, if successful, should pave the way for full approval of the vaccine for young people and widen their access to it.

Diemert told DCist/WAMU that already in the days since researchers started recruiting, they’ve noticed a slower trickle of interested participants compared to research involving adults. This is GW Vaccine Unit’s first time using participants under 18, and he said they’re trying to make connections through DC Health, schools, and Children’s National Hospital. He attributes the lower interest to mpox fading out of the headlines, kids’ busy schedules, and growing anti-vaccine hesitancy.

“There’s a lot of logistical but also potentially vaccine-hesitancy related concerns,” he said. “There’s not that kind of impetus for people to volunteer now to get the vaccine.”

Diemert said they’re trying to offer flexible hours for appointments on weeknights and weekends to make it easier for people to participate. (All appointments will take place George Washington University.) After the participant receives the full dose of the vaccine (which is two separate shots, one month apart), they’ll come back for about six additional visits to check antibody levels and draw some blood.

All participants will be compensated after each appointment, receiving around $500 dollars. Researchers also need about 135 adults between 18-50 to serve as the comparison group, so Diemert is hoping parents and children can sign up together.

Interested volunteers should fill out this form.

The mpox vaccine trial is one of several studies currently underway at GW’s Research Vaccine Unit; investigators are also conducting several different COVID vaccine trials. Way back in 2020, George Washington University was one of 90 sites nationwide to run clinical trials of the Moderna vaccine; Former Councilmember Mary Cheh and Deputy Mayor for the Department of Health and Human Services both participated.