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- China to 'gradually resume' seafood imports from Japan after Fukushima ban
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- Deep takes two as Bangladesh totter in reply to India's 376
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- Ashwin's 113 powers India to 376 in Bangladesh Test
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- Taiwan questions two in probe into Hezbollah pagers
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- Farrell set for 'challenge' of downing Bordeaux in Top 14
- Springbok Etzebeth diverts attention from looming caps record
- Inter on a high ahead of Milan derby as Napoli face Juve test
- Bank of Japan leaves key interest rate unchanged
- Arnold quits after six years in charge of Australia
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- Guirassy and Anton to return to Stuttgart with new side Dortmund
- Marseille bidding to continue 'almost perfect' Ligue 1 start
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- World leaders to gather at UN as crises grow and conflicts rage
- How plastic pollution poses challenge for Canada marine conservation
- Scientists track plastic waste in pristine Canada marine park
- South Africa's Buhai grabs LPGA Queen City lead
- Japan inflation firms to 2.8% ahead of BoJ rate decision
- Russia's Kadyrov accuses Musk of 'remotely disabling' his Cybertruck
- Titan sub had to abort a dive days before fatal implosion: testimony
- Ohtani makes MLB history with first 50-homer, 50-steal season
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- Ohtani eyes MLB history after surpassing 50 stolen bases
- Barca downed by Monaco as Arsenal held in Champions League stalemate
- Head's 'good night at office' after century seals win over England
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- Barca stumble at Monaco after early red card
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US declares monkeypox a public health emergency
The United States on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, a move that should free up new funds, assist in data gathering and allow the deployment of additional personnel in the fight against the disease.
"We're prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus," Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra said in a call.
The declaration, which is initially effective for 90 days but can be renewed, came as nationwide cases topped 6,600 on Thursday, around a quarter of them from New York state.
Experts believe the real number could be much higher in the current outbreak since the symptoms can be subtle, including single lesions.
The US has so far delivered some 600,000 JYNNEOS vaccines -- originally developed against monkeypox's related virus, smallpox -- but this number figure is still far short of the approximately 1.6 million people considered at highest risk and who need the vaccine most.
Some 99 percent of US cases have so far been among men who have sex with men, the Health and Human Services department said last week, and this is the population authorities are targeting in the national vaccination strategy.
In contrast to previous outbreaks in Africa, the virus is now predominantly spread through sexual activity -- but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says other routes are also possible, including sharing bedding, clothing, and prolonged face-to-face contact.
The US declaration comes after the World Health Organization also designated the outbreak an emergency last month -- something it reserves for diseases of highest concern.
Also Thursday, US Food and Drug Administration commissioner Robert Califf said his agency was mulling a move that would allow clinicians to administer five doses of vaccine based on one dose of existing vials.
The vaccine is currently administered subcutaneously, but the new approach would involve administering it intradermally, at a more shallow angle.
This "means basically sticking the needle within the skin and creating a little pocket there into which the vaccine goes, so this is really nothing highly unusual," said Califf.
H.E.Young--AMWN