The U.S. Declares Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency. Here's What That Means

On August 4, the US government declared a public health emergency due to the large number of monkeypox cases in the country. There are two public health emergencies in the U.S., one of which is monkeypox.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services can use additional funds and resources to fight the outbreak. Increased testing and more vaccine doses are possible. New York has a quarter of the U.S. cases and has declared a state of emergency.

"We're prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus."

More doctors and health professionals need to be educated about how to detect monkeypox and test more people for the disease. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the U.S. is only using 10% of available testing capacity. Providing information about when and how to test for monkeypox could increase testing and improve access to vaccinations.

It feels like having monkeypox.

People who are at high risk for monkeypox, including healthcare workers and men who have sex with men, should get the ACAM vaccine as soon as possible. The strategic national stockpile is the nation's store of supplies for health emergencies. According to Walensky, there are 1.6 million people in the US who are considered high risk for monkeypox. The government has ordered 2.5 million more doses of the vaccine.

The FDA is looking at data to extend the available doses through a practice called "dose sparing." The monkeypox vaccine is injected into the outer layers of the skin. Califf said it would only require one-fifth of the current vaccine dose to speed up the circulation and distribute the vaccine. This is the way the vaccine is being given. The strategy seems to be promising so far, he said. Scientists are trying to figure out if using this type of injection would give the same protection as the original dose.

The designation of a public health emergency could lead to increased access to a drug that is approved for treating smallpox and may also be effective against monkeypox. Since the pill-based treatment is not approved for treating monkeypox, doctors need to register to give the drug and patients need to sign consent forms. Under the public health emergency, Becerra could issue an emergency use authorization for TPOXX, which would remove the paperwork process and allow any doctor or pharmacy to stock the medication. The drug needs to be proven safe and effective before it can be taken further. There are studies being planned to find out how effective TPOXX is.

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