United States declares monkeypox a health emergency

First modification: 08/05/2022 – 02:44

The United States took a new step by declaring a health emergency due to the increase in registered cases of monkeypox, which already affects 48 states of the North American nation. The declaration comes in the face of the rapid expansion that the disease has had in recent weeks, since it is estimated that there are a total of 7,000 cases, although no deaths have been recorded.

The designation of the health emergency will allow the nation to access emergency funds intended to combat any type of health crisis. In addition, it will help the distribution of medicines and supplies to treat the disease.

Although the declaration at the federal level has arrived this August 4, some states such as Washington, New York and Georgia had gone ahead by declaring the emergency to ensure the arrival of the necessary goods. It should be remembered that the WHO considers this disease a health emergency since last July 23, although it has not yet reached the category of a pandemic.

The statement was made by the Secretary of Health, Xavier Becerra, who assured that they are prepared “to take the response to the next level.” In addition, he insisted that “all Americans take monkeypox seriously and take responsibility to help us deal with this virus.”

A slow vaccination against monkeypox

Earlier this week, the White House announced the creation of a response group to deal with the spread of monkeypox, after being criticized for being slow to buy vaccines and treatments.

So far, the United States has fully administered 1.1 million doses of monkeypox, immunizing about 550,000 of the 1.6 million people identified as “high risk.”

The global shortage of vaccines against this disease has led the United States to consider administering only a fifth of the dose to each person, to cover a larger number of people.

At the moment the extension and severity of this disease is being much slower and less deadly than that experienced with Covid-19 in 2020, although experts warn of its consequences among the most vulnerable population, ranging from pustules to very high fever.

So far, monkeypox has recorded only three deaths outside of Africa, where it is endemic. One of them in Brazil and the other two in Spain, one of the countries with the highest rate of contagion per inhabitant in the world. However, the experts agree in pointing out the concerns that exist in the face of the exit of this disease from its usual environment in the tropical zone of the African continent.

with EFE