Biden administration states that monkeypox is no longer a public health emergency | CPT PPP Coverage

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Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is no longer considered a public health emergency, the Biden administration announced this week, per CNN.

The news: The virus, which peaked in the U.S. with hundreds of cases a day, is now only producing cases in the single digits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• “Given the low number of cases today, HHS did not renew the emergency declaration,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, via The Hill. Mpox was declared a public health emergency in August 2022, and that emergency declaration was renewed in November.
• “But we won’t take our foot off the gas — we will continue to monitor the case trends closely and encourage all at-risk individuals to get a free vaccine,” the spokesperson continued.

The numbers: According to CNN, the U.S. led the rest of the world in mpox cases. The total case count currently stands at 30,123, and there have been 28 total deaths in the U.S. from mpox, the CDC reported.

Why the name change? In November, the World Health Organization officially changed the. name of the virus from monkeypox to mpox, citing “racist and stigmatizing language online.”

• The WHO stated that the name change was requested by multiple countries, as well as individuals. The names “monkeypox” and “mpox” will be used simultaneously for one year until the old name phases out, in order to minimize confusion.

Looking back: Mpox cases began spiking in May. The (WHO)stated that gay and bisexual men were more likely to come in contact with the virus, according to Deseret News.

• When the virus was at its peak last summer, vaccinations for mpox were sparse and only available for populations who had the highest risk of contracting the virus, Deseret News reported. Some health officials used smallpox vaccines in order to combat the spread of the virus, given that it was shown to have provided immunity against mpox.
• Health officials attribute the reduction in cases to vaccine distribution and the willingness of at-risk parties to limit their contact with other people. They also note that the change in season is likely keeping people indoors, limiting the spread, per CNN.