The mpox 2022 outbreak was declared a public health emergency in July 2022. In August 2022, the MVA–BN vaccine received emergency use authorization in the United States (US) to target at-risk groups. This study (EUPAS104386) used HealthVerity’s administrative US healthcare data to generate real-world evidence for MVA–BN vaccine effectiveness and safety to prevent mpox disease in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women, the most affected population during the 2022 mpox outbreak. Fully vaccinated subjects (two doses ≥ 28 days apart) were initially matched with five unvaccinated subjects on calendar date, age, US region, and insurance type. Subjects were followed from index date (14 days after the second dose) until death or data end to ascertain mpox occurrence. After propensity score adjustment, the MVA–BN vaccine effectiveness against mpox disease was 89% (95% CI: 12%, 99%) among those fully vaccinated; attenuated to 64% (95% CI: 40%, 78%) among those with any dose and 70% (95% CI: 44%, 84%) for those with only a single dose. One pericarditis adverse event of special interest was observed when the risk window was extended to 28 days. These results contribute to the totality of evidence supporting the favorable benefit/risk profile of the MVA–BN vaccine.

Movement disorders such as cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm negatively impact the quality of life of people living with these conditions. Botulinum toxin (BoNT) injections are commonly used to treat these disorders. We sought to describe patient characteristics, BoNT utilization, and potential adverse events (AEs) among patients with cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm using Optum’s de-identified Clinformatics^® Data Mart Database. Patients were required to have a diagnosis of the specific condition plus evidence of treatment with BoNT between 8/1/2010 and 5/31/2022. Cervical dystonia patients were commonly females (76%) and aged 45 and older (78%); both blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm patients were commonly females (both 69%) and aged 65 and older (61% and 56%, respectively). Anticholinergics were commonly used (65–82% across cohorts), as were peripheral muscle relaxants for cervical dystonia patients specifically (31%). The median number of injections per year was 2 with the median weeks between injections being between 13 and 15. Of the AEs evaluated, dyspnea was identified frequently across all the cohorts (14–20%). The findings were similar for different BoNT formulations. More research is needed to thoroughly describe BoNT utilization, such as the doses injected, and to optimize treatment for patients with these conditions.