The monkeypox epidemic is deemed an emergency by the Biden administration
The monkeypox epidemic is deemed an emergency by the Biden administration, As the number of reported cases of monkeypox continues to grow across the United States, the Biden administration on Thursday decided to declare a public health emergency.
The news was delivered during a meeting with Department of Health and Human Services representatives.
The administration has sometimes been criticized for handling the outbreak, and some people have demanded that the government proclaim a national emergency without further delay.
Since the first case of monkeypox in the United States was discovered in the middle of May, there have been over 6,600 probable or confirmed cases in the country. Every state in the country has reported at least one point, except Montana and Wyoming.
The statement comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that monkeypox was a public health emergency of international significance a month ago. “An extraordinary event” that poses “a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease” and “to potentially require a coordinated international response” is what the World Health Organization (WHO) means when it refers to a “public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC for short.
Several municipalities and states, including New York City, San Francisco, California, Illinois, and New York, have already declared that monkeypox is an emergency, which enables them to free up cash and resources for their respective responses to the outbreak.
On Tuesday, Robert Fenton was given the position of national monkeypox response coordinator at the White House after being selected by Vice President Joe Biden. The federal government’s reaction to the outbreak will be coordinated by Fenton, a regional administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Her responsibilities include overseeing Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis fill the deputy coordinator role, also the director of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.
The administration of Vice President Joe Biden has come under fire from several public health professionals for not working more quickly to solve the situation.
As CNN reported earlier on Thursday, one of the criticisms of the administration’s response was that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) waited more than three weeks after the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States to order bulk stocks of the monkeypox vaccine, which the government owns and stores in Denmark, to be bottled and sent to the United States for distribution. This was one of the criticisms of the administration’s response. The delay was caused partly by the concern that the vaccines would lose years of their shelf life once they were removed from the bulk storage facility where they had been kept.
It is possible for anyone to contract monkeypox. Still, the vast majority of cases in the current outbreak in the United States have been reported in men who have sexual relations with other men. This includes homosexual men, bisexual men, and those who identify as transgender. According to several experts’ opinions, the monkeypox virus transmission requires direct contact with an infected person.
Initially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared that vaccines for monkeypox would be distributed from the Strategic National Stockpile and made available to “high-risk” contacts of monkeypox patients, in addition to the medical personnel who were treating them. Since then, officials from the federal government in charge of public health have increased their focus on vaccination campaigns to include a wider community of men who engage in sexual activity with other men. This population accounts for the majority of monkeypox cases in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that beginning in June, in addition to offering vaccinations, it has been making a determined effort to provide factual information and outreach to the LGBTQ population.
Alterations to the delivery method of the vaccination could be made.
The United States is “at a critical inflection point” with the virus’ spread, Dr. Robert Califf, the United States Food and Drug Administration commissioner, told reporters on Thursday. Because of this, health officials are considering changing how doses of the monkeypox vaccine are administered.
According to Califf, “in recent days, it has become clear to all of us that given the continued spread of the virus, we’re at a critical inflection point, dictating the need for additional solutions to address the rise in infection rates.” “In recent days, it has become clear to all of us that given the continued spread of the virus, we’re at a critical inflection point, giving rise to the need for additional. The objective has always been to vaccinate an extremely high percentage of the population.
One vial of Jynneos vaccine, which was only ever used for one dose, will now be able to be used to administer up to five different amounts, according to the commissioner, who stated that the government is mulling over whether or not to make it possible for medical professionals to use a dose-sharing method.
Califf stated that this method would result in a modification to the way Jynneos is administered. The vaccine won’t be injected into the subcutaneous layer of fat like it usually is; instead, it will be delivered directly beneath the skin’s surface.
“There are certain advantages to intradermal injection, including a better immunological response to the vaccination,” Califf said. “Among these advantages is an improved intradermal immune response.” “It is essential to emphasize that utilizing this strategy will not compromise the overall safety and efficacy profile. We would like you to know that we have investigated any scientifically viable approaches, and we believe this strategy may have some potential.”
