The federal government declared a public health emergency Thursday to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak that has infected more than 7,100 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 US Department of Health and Human Services. 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 haven’t 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 with men. But health officials emphasize that the virus can infect anyone. No one in the United States has died. A few deaths have been reported in other countries.
Among sections identified by the US health body who are vulnerable are: "people who have been identified by public health officials as a contact of someone with monkeypox, people who are aware that one of their partners in the past 2 weeks has been diagnosed with monkeypox, and people who had multiple partners in the past 2 weeks in an area with known monkeypox."
Fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough, rashes in private parts are counted among symptoms.
As a many, numerous of cases have registered among gay men, health bodies - including the WHO - have also been appealing against discrimination.
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.
Austin 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 Austin didn’t expect that to happen with monkeypox.
It is a textbook case of a public health emergency, Austin 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.
Becerra announced the emergency declaration during a call with reporters. During the call, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Cali ff said regulators are reviewing an approach that would stretch supplies by allowing health professionals to vaccinate up to five people — instead of one with each vial of Jynneos.
Under this so-called dose-sparing approach, physicians and others would use a shallower injection under the skin, instead of the subcutaneous injection currently recommended in the vaccine’s labeling.
Cali ff said a decision authorizing that approach could come within days.
That would require another declaration, to allow the government to alter its guidelines on how to administer the vaccine, officials said.
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