Research on monkeypox and tools to respond effectively to this disease have been a priority for the United States for many years. A monkeypox infection usually causes a fever and rash, which can be spread through close contact. There has not been any death linked to this outbreak in the United States, as it is less contagious than fast-spreading respiratory illnesses like COVID-19. As a result, the virus is spreading among Americans and across the globe, requiring a coordinated response by federal, state, and local governments, as well as international organizations. As part of a coordinated whole-government response, President Biden has taken steps essential to making vaccines, tests, and treatments available to those who require them since the first case of monkeypox was confirmed in the United States on May 18.
An important part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s response to the monkeypox outbreak was announced today by announcing the first phase of its monkeypox vaccine strategy. Vaccines will be provided to high-risk individuals across the country, helping stop the spread of the virus immediately. By deploying vaccines in the most affected communities, this phase of the strategy seeks to curb the spread of the disease.
It is the Administration’s plan to expand and decentralize testing as well as continue educator classrooms and community outreach across the country in addition to this announcement, which is a critical component of the broader public health response over which the Administration is working. In addition, the administration’s monkeypox outbreak response is informed by how the country has successfully responded to the virus many times over the past twenty years.
Collectively, the Administration’s efforts aim to expand vaccination for individuals at risk and make testing more convenient for healthcare providers and patients across the country. Biden and Harris remain determined to fight the outbreak with urgency by detecting more cases, protecting those at risk, and responding swiftly.
The development and delivery of vaccines to prevent new infections: The United States has effective vaccines and treatments to fight monkeypox because of prior investments in health security and the nation’s previous response to the monkeypox virus. As of today, HHS has deployed over 9,000 vaccine doses and 300 antiviral courses for smallpox, based on requests from 32 states and jurisdictions. With the completion of the national monkeypox vaccine strategy announced today, the United States significantly expands the deployment of monkeypox vaccines. As of today, there are currently 56,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine available, which will increase to 296,000 doses over the coming weeks. There will be an additional 1.6 million doses available in the coming months.
In addition to making monkeypox testing easier, the Administration has developed a national monkeypox vaccine strategy to provide more widespread and more convenient monkeypox testing. As soon as the outbreak began, doctors had access to an FDA-cleared monkeypox test. With spare capacity to conduct nearly 10,000 tests a week nationwide, the CDC has grown to 78 sites in 48 states, primarily state public health laboratories. As part of the monkeypox testing expansion, CDC has begun shipping tests to commercial laboratories, including some of the country’s largest. Healthcare providers and patients across the nation will benefit from this action.
To learn more about monkeypox, signs and symptoms, treatments, and prevention, please visit the CDC page here.
Jonathon M. Poe 