Release Statement by HHS Secretary Becerra on mpox Today, US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued the following statement on mpox: Since the beginning of the mpox outbreak, the Administration has done everything possible to stop the spread of this virus. In August, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a Public Health Emergency that further strengthened and accelerated the response to produce results. Given the low number of cases today , HHS does not expect it will need to renew the emergency declaration when it ends on January 31, 2023. But we will not take our foot off the gas: We will continue to monitor case trends closely and encourage all people in risk of getting vaccinated for free. As we move into the next phase of this effort, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to work closely with jurisdictions and partners to monitor trends, especially in communities that have been disproportionately affected. |
Mpox cases have dropped significantly in the United States, prompting the federal government to plan not to renew an emergency designation for the virus when it expires at the end of next month.
"Given the low number of cases today, HHS does not expect it will need to renew the emergency declaration when it ends on January 31, 2023," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an agency news release. “But we won’t take our foot off the accelerator: we will continue to closely monitor case trends and encourage everyone at risk to get a free vaccine.”
More than 29,000 Americans contracted the virus and 17 died during an outbreak that began earlier this year, the Associated Press reported.
The government first declared a public health emergency in August and assigned two top officials to handle the virus outbreak, which was primarily occurring in men who have sex with infected men. Those officials are Robert Fenton, who also led the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s COVID-19 vaccination effort, and Demetre Daskalakis, MD, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After delays in testing and vaccine rollout, the two-dose Jynneos vaccine became more available across the country and cases decreased.
Mpox was previously called monkeypox , but the World Health Organization renamed it in November amid concerns that the name could be discriminatory and racist, the AP reported.
