The US government plans to end in January the public health emergency that in place. Since the beginning of the year after an outbreak of mpox (monkeypox) infected 29,000 people in the country.
Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Said in a statement that the mpox public health emergency is expecte to end in January. Given the low number of cases today, HHS does not expect it will need to renew. The emergency declaration when it ends on 31 January 2023,” he said.
US to end mpox public health emergency in January
He said that although the measure will be rescinde. They will continue to closely monitor case trends and encourage all people at risk to get a free vaccination. In recent weeks, mpox infections have decline after hundreds of people were infected over the summer.
So far 17 people have died in the US from the virus. Reducing the mpox measure will be a test for White House officials, who are also preparing to declare an end to the. COVID-19 public health emergency, which is expecte to last at least until 11 January.
US to end mpox public health emergency in January
By the end of September, DC, Maryland and Virginia had expande all eligibility criteria to include in the vaccination system. People of any sexual orientation or gender who have had anonymous or multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks.
The most infected people in the country are men who have sex with men.
This includes people considered most at risk: gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men; transgender men and transgender women; sex workers; and staff in bathhouses, saunas or sex clubs.
U.S. health officials said they are preparing to finalise the emergency declaration for mpox, the virus until recently known as monkeypox, as cases decline across the country.
The Department of Health and Human Services “does not expect it will need to renew the emergency declaration when it ends on January 31,” Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement on Friday. “But we will not take our foot off the gas – we will continue to closely monitor case trends and encourage everyone at risk to get a free vaccine.”