Biden-Harris Administration Bolsters Monkeypox Response; HHS Secretary Becerra Declares Public Health Emergency U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the ongoing spread of the monkeypox virus in the United States is a Public Health Emergency (PHE). This action further strengthens and accelerates the Biden-Harris Administration’s response in recognition of the continued rapid transmission of monkeypox in the U.S. and globally, and signals the seriousness and urgency with which the Administration is responding. The announcement comes on the heels of President Biden appointing Robert Fenton of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator. “Ending the monkeypox outbreak is a critical priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. We are taking our response to the next level by declaring a public health emergency,” said Secretary Becerra. “With (this) declaration, we can further strengthen and accelerate our response further.” “President Biden has called on us to explore every option on the table to combat the monkeypox outbreak and protect communities at risk,” said Response Coordinator Robert Fenton. “We are applying lessons learned from the battles we’ve fought – from COVID response to wildfires to measles, and will tackle this outbreak with the urgency this moment demands.” The PHE declaration is in concert with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) work to explore new strategies that could help get vaccines to affected communities across the country, including using a new dose-sparing approach that could increase the number of doses available up to five-fold. The public health emergency also carries important implications for data sharing with the federal government. Fifty-one jurisdictions have already signed data use agreements that will provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with information related to vaccine administration. Declaring the outbreak an emergency may provide the justification the remaining jurisdictions need to sign their agreements. Additionally, it provides By the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 22 Montana Funeral Directors Association
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw