The federal government has declared a public health emergency to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak that has infected more than 6,600 Americans.
The announcement will free up money and other resources to fight the virus – which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps on many parts of the body.
“We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously,” said Xavier Becerra, head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
New: Epidemic curve for the #monkeypox outbreak. The data displayed in the graph show how monkeypox has spread in the U.S., based on cases reported to CDC since May 17, 2022, the start of CDC's response to the current outbreak. Learn more: https://t.co/UxrVNeSrop. pic.twitter.com/Jz2Rj5wF3N
— CDC (@CDCgov) August 4, 2022
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The declaration by HHS comes as the Biden administration has faced criticism over monkeypox vaccine availability. Clinics in major cities such as New York and San Francisco say they have not received enough of the two-shot vaccine to meet demand, and some have had to stop offering the second dose to ensure supply of first doses.
The White House said it has made more than 1.1 million doses available and has helped to boost domestic diagnostic capacity to 80,000 tests per week.
The monkeypox virus spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing.
The people who have gotten sick so far have been primarily men who have sex with men. But health officials emphasise that the virus can infect anyone.
Earlier this week, the Biden administration named top officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to serve as the White House coordinators to combat monkeypox.
Thursday’s declaration is an important — and overdue — step, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University.
“It signals the US government’s seriousness and purpose, and sounds a global alarm,” he said.
Under the declaration, HHS can draw from emergency funds, hire or reassign staff to deal with the outbreak and take other steps to control the virus.
For example, the announcement should help the federal government to seek more information from state and local health officials about who is becoming infected and who is being vaccinated.
That information can be used to better understand how the outbreak is unfolding and how well the vaccine works.
Mr Gostin said the US government has been too cautious and should have declared a nationwide emergency earlier.
Public health measures to control outbreaks have increasingly faced legal challenges in recent years, but Mr Gostin did not expect that to happen with monkeypox.
“It is a textbook case of a public health emergency,” Mr Gostin said. “It’s not a red or a blue state issue. There is no political opposition to fighting monkeypox.”
A public health emergency can be extended, similar to what happened during the Covid-19 pandemic, he noted.
The urgency in the current response stems from the rapid spread of the virus coupled with the limited availability of the two-dose vaccine called Jynneos, which is considered the main medical weapon against the disease.
The doses, given 28 days apart, are currently being given to people soon after they think they were exposed, as a measure to prevent symptoms.
