The United States declared a public health emergency for monkeypox on Thursday, which will allow it to disburse funds, collect data and mobilize more personnel in the fight against the disease.
“We are prepared to take the response one step higher to address this virus, and we urge all Americans to take monkeypox seriously and take responsibility for helping us deal with this virus,” said Health Secretary and Human Services, Xavier Becerra.
The declaration, effective for 90 days but that can be renewed, takes place when this Thursday the 6,600 cases were exceeded throughout the country, approximately a quarter of them in the state of New York.
Experts believe that there could be many more, because sometimes there are few symptoms, which can be reduced to simple lesions.
So far, the United States has delivered about 600,000 doses of the vaccine marketed as Jynneos in North America (Imvanex in Europe) and initially developed against smallpox.
But it is a low number considering that some 1.6 million people are considered high risk in the country.
About 99% of cases in the United States have been in men who have sex with men, the Department of Health reported last week. This is the priority population for vaccination.
Unlike previous outbreaks in Africa, the virus is now predominantly transmitted through sexual activity, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that it could also be transmitted by sleeping in the same bed, sharing clothes and through of prolonged face-to-face contact.
Last month the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared monkeypox a public health emergency, something it reserves for the diseases of greatest concern.
On Thursday, the US drug agency, the FDA, said it is considering allowing health workers to administer five doses of vaccine from a single dose by changing the way it is injected.
The first symptoms of monkeypox are a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a smallpox-like rash.
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