Biden administration declares monkeypox a public health emergency

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

The secretary of health and human services said that the monkeypox outbreak is a public health emergency in the US. Cases of the disease have been increasing around the world since May.

He urged everyone to take monkeypox seriously.

In late July, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. New York and California have declared health emergencies.

If a public health emergency is declared, funding for disease response can be opened up. Monkeypox vaccines are used around the country, but they are in short supply. The public health emergency will allow us to explore different strategies to get vaccines and treatments more quickly out to impacted communities, and it will allow us to get more data from jurisdictions so we can effectively track and attack this outbreak.

Symptoms of monkeypox include a rash, blisters, and swelling of the lysies. It does not spread as quickly as COVID-19, and so far, experts think it is mostly transmitted through person-to- person contact. The majority of cases have appeared among men who have sex with men.

Over 6,700 people have tested positive for monkeypox in the US. It is still hard to access testing. There is a public health emergency in the US.