Healthcare workers sit at the registration desk at a pop-up mpox vaccination clinic opened today by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at the West Hollywood Library on August 3, 2022 in West Hollywood, California . California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on August 1 over the mpox outbreak.
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Healthcare workers sit at the registration desk at a pop-up mpox vaccination clinic opened today by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at the West Hollywood Library on August 3, 2022 in West Hollywood, California . California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on August 1 over the mpox outbreak.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
The US Department of Health and Human Services has announced that it will not renew mpox, the virus formerly known as chickenpox, to a public health emergency after January 31, 2023, after the number of cases decreased.
mpox case, where peaked in August with a 7-day average of 459 new cases, gradually decreasing over the past months to an average of 7 cases at the end of November.
Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in a press conference Friday: “From the very beginning of the mpox outbreak, the Administration used every lever to contain the spread of the virus. of this virus”. Press Release. “Given the current low number of cases, HHS does not believe they need to extend the state of emergency declaration when it ends January 31, 2023.”
Department of Health and Human Services declare mpox, a public health emergency in early August, with more than 7,500 confirmed cases.
The United States soon saw a slower rate of new cases began in mid-August, prompting cautious optimism among health officials shortly after the declaration of a public health emergency. The seven-day average of new cases fell 20% from August 10 to August 26.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the change in behavior, especially among the LGBTQ community, has helped limit the spread of mpox. According to one report, about half of respondents to the CDC survey said they had reduced “the number of sexual partners, one-time sex, and the use of dating apps because of the outbreak of chickenpox.” bean”. release in September.
The majority of mpox cases are related to male-to-male sex, according to World Health Organization.
As of December 2, a total of nearly 30,000 cases and 19 deaths have been confirmed. confirmed in the US and about 82,000 cases globally.
“We will continue to work hard – we will continue to closely monitor case trends and encourage all people at risk to get free vaccinations,” Becerra wrote. “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, particularly in marginalized communities. severely affected.”
