The Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday, citing an increasing number of cases across the United States.
During a press conference with the Department of Health and Human Services, the announcement was made.
The administration has been chastised at times for how it has handled the outbreak, and some have urged the federal government to declare a national emergency immediately.
More than 6,600 likely or affirmed cases of monkeypox have been identified in the United States since the first case was recognized in mid-May. Except for Montana and Wyoming, cases have been noted in every state.
“Monkeypox can infect anyone, but the majority of cases in the US outbreak have been among men who have sex with men, including gay and bisexual men and people who identify as transgender. Close contact with an infected individual is required for the spread of the monkeypox virus, experts say,” according to CNN.
Initially, the CDC announced that monkeypox vaccines were being issued from the Strategic National Stockpile and provided to “high-risk” contacts of monkeypox patients, as well as health care professionals trying to treat them.
Federal health officials have since enhanced vaccination efforts to target the wider population of men who have intercourse with men, the demographic that accounts for the majority of monkeypox cases across the country.
In in addition to offering vaccines, the CDC has stated that it has put forth a concerted effort to educate and reach out to the LGBTQ public since June.
