The Monkeypox epidemic was declared an immediate threat by the New York State as part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to stop the spread.
” This declaration signifies that local health department engaged in prevention and response activities will have the ability to obtain additional State reimbursement after all other Federal and State funding sources have been maximized to protect all New Yorkers.” Dr. Mary Bassett is New York State Health Commissioner.
As of Thursday, New York confirmed 1,341 Monkeypox cases, with 1,289 cases in New York City alone, according to state public health officials.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said the Biden administration has assisted the state in securing 110,000 Monkeypox vaccine doses. The majority of these doses will arrive in New York City.
” New Yorkers and our LGBTQ+ community are among those most affected by the epidemic. More than 25% of cases occur in the U.S. We will continue to advocate to the federal government for our fair share of vaccines based on the disease burden impacting New York,” Hochul said in a statement.
” My team and I have worked around the clock in order to combat the monkeypox epidemic and keep New Yorkers secure. We will continue to work to obtain more vaccines and expand our testing capabilities, educate the public about symptoms, and help them protect themselves,” the governor said.
This development follows the declaration by the City of San Francisco that a public emergency was being made due to the Monkeypox epidemic. According to San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D), the declaration will be in effect from August 1, and it will allow local officials access to additional resources for fighting the virus.
Breed took the action after being criticized by top California Democrats including Rep Adam Schiff (D–CA) regarding state residents’ lack of Monkeypox vaccinations.
“I don’t know why there aren’t more vaccines available,” a frustrated Schiff told CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday. I’ve heard from my health care provider that people are lining up for vaccinations, but they do not have the right vaccines. This is an alarming problem. We don’t really know what the course of this virus will be, as you have indicated. However, what we do early, as with the pandemics, will help us determine how severe this virus may become .”
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This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the global spread of Monkeypox is an international health emergency.
The U.S. has the second-highest amount of confirmed Monkeypox cases in the world at 3,590 cases, while Spain has the highest with 3,738, according to data released via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
