Biden Admin Declares Monkeypox a National Health Emergency

Despite a low number of cases and the low transmissibility of the virus, the United States has just declared monkeypox a national health emergency.

“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,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra during a press briefing.

The CDC has so far reported fewer than 7,000 cases of monkeypox in a population of over 332 milllion. This is months after the start of the supposed outbreak.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky claims the declaration would provide resources and increase access to care. She also said it would expand the CDC’s ability to share data.

The announcement comes just days after the governors of California, New York and Illinois declared monkeypox an emergency in their respective states. It has been less than two weeks since the World Health Organization declared monkeypox an international emergency, despite a committee panel voting against the move that was ultimately decided by the WHO’s director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.