USA Joins the WHO’s Monkeypox Emergency Declaration

During a media call today, the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) regarding the ongoing monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak in the USA.

As of August 3, 2022, the U.S. CDC reported forty-eight states and territories had confirmed 6,617 MPXV patients since late May 2022.

"We're prepared to take our response 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," commented Sec. Becerra reported Politico on August 4, 2022.

Newly appointed White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator Robert Fenton added 'That MPXV is spreading "faster than previous outbreaks.'

"This PHE will allow us to explore additional strategies to get vaccines and treatments more quickly out to impacted communities," Fenton told the media.

As of July 27, 2020, the U.S. government announced it had committed orders for about 6.9 million doses of the Jynneos® vaccine, which the U.S. FDA has authorized for selective use.

Additionally, because the human MPXV is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, research indicates the ACAM2000® smallpox vaccine may offer protection. This is important since the U.S. government has about 100 million doses available to deploy.

Today's PHE announcement follows the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of a global monkeypox Public Health Emergency of International Concern in late July 2022.

Worldwide data sources indicate over eighty countries have reported about 27,906 cases.

"On July 23, the WHO declared Monkeypox an international health emergency," said Alison Shely, DNP, FNP-C.

"With an increased risk in the U.S., it's critical for nurses to know as much as they can about the disease," added Shely, a nurse practitioner and writer for Trusted Health.

Furthermore, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced today a coordinated call to action with science and technology leaders and advisors asking scholarly publishers to make all monkeypox-related research and data immediately available to the public.

Dr. Raj Panjabi, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense, recently noted: "A coordinated, international response is essential to stop the spread of monkeypox, protect communities at greatest risk of contracting the disease, and combat the current outbreak." 

"That is why today we join with international allies and partners to call upon the scholarly publishing community to provide immediate access to research that has the potential to accelerate the global monkeypox response."

Additional monkeypox vaccine development news is posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/Monkeypox.

PrecisionVaccinations publishes fact-check, research-based vaccine news curated for mobile readership.

Update on September 14, 2022, for clarity.