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- Biden Administration Declares Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency
On August 4, the Biden administration declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency, allowing for increased flexibility to dedicate the necessary resources to stop the virus’ spread. The declaration allows federal agencies to direct funding toward developing and evaluating vaccines and drugs, access emergency funding, and hire additional workers to help manage the outbreak. National public health emergencies last 90 days but can be extended by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
After the declaration, government officials said 800,000 monkeypox vaccine doses would be available for distribution. According to the HHS, the US will receive another 150,000 monkeypox vaccine doses in the strategic national stockpile in September. The focus of the administration's response to the outbreak has been to vaccinate those at high risk of contracting the disease.
Monkeypox, a virus like smallpox but with less severe symptoms, has primarily been found in parts of Central and West Africa. But in the current outbreak, the United States has the world’s largest monkeypox cases, and the virus is spreading fast. Less than a month ago, there were about 700 cases; now, there are nearly 10 times that many. In the current outbreak, most people appear to be catching the virus from sexual contact.
The World Health Organization has already declared monkeypox a global emergency. Monkeypox has spread to more than 70 countries in the recent outbreak. In addition, New York, California, and Illinois declared public health emergencies related to monkeypox in the last two weeks.