Biden administration declares monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency as cases rise
The US government has declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. Over the last few months, countries worldwide have seen a steady increase in monkeypox infections.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are a total of 26,864 confirmed cases. Currently, the US has the world’s biggest monkeypox outbreak, with over 6,600 cases across the country.
Due to the alarming amount of infections, Health and Human Resources Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a public health emergency. “We are prepared to take our responses to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus,” he said via a press briefing.
Robert Fenton, the White House’s newly appointed national monkeypox response coordinator, echoed similar sentiments in response to the landmark announcement. “This public health emergency will allow us to explore additional strategies to get vaccines and treatments work quickly out to the impacted communities,” Fenton said. “And it will allow us to get more data from jurisdictions so we can effectively track and attack this outbreak.” With the public health emergency officially announced, the US government will have access to more resources and funds that will help expand testing sites, vaccine availability and medical treatment.
