Monkeypox: the United States declares a health emergency

The United States declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday. The announcement was made during a briefing with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to the CNN.

The decision comes after criticism and pressure from the government, which according to health experts, would not have positioned itself in the right way in the face of the epidemic. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox has now exceeded 6,600, putting the country ahead of Spain, Germany and the UK.

Infections have been identified in all states except Montana and Wyoming. Action can accelerate the distribution of vaccines, free up funds and establish measures and protocols to fight and prevent the disease.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden appointed Robert Fenton as the White House’s national smallpox response coordinator.

On Saturday (30), Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in the state of New York. The states of California and Illinois have also declared their own emergencies for the disease.

All states and cities follow the World Health Organization (WHO) decree, which declared the monkeypox outbreak an emergency in July.

Up to Sunday (31) three deaths related to the disease have been reported. According to the Ministry of Health (MS), one was registered in Brazil and the other two in Europe.

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Source: Olhar Digital