Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Administration Pressed On Efforts To Control Monkeypox Spread
The Hill: Senate Chair ‘Concerned’ With Monkeypox Response
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said she is “concerned” by the state of the U.S. monkeypox response in a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. (Sullivan, Weixel and Choi, 7/20)
CIDRAP: A Smart Monkeypox Vaccine Strategy Will Be Key, Experts Say
"Eventually we can bring this under control." That's the message Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), puts forth about the growing global monkeypox outbreak in a new editorial in Science. But in order to do so, millions of vaccine doses must be made available, a process that will likely take months—if not years. (Soucheray, 7/20)
Meanwhile the WHO is concerned —
Newsweek: WHO To Hold Another Emergency Meeting Over Global Monkeypox Epidemics
The World Health Organization (WHO) is due to hold an emergency committee meeting on Thursday at which it may decide whether monkeypox represents a global health emergency. It will be the second time the emergency committee has convened over monkeypox, with the last meeting being held on June 23. At that time, it was decided that the monkeypox outbreak did not constitute a global health emergency, or Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Browne, 7/20)
Reuters: WHO Reports 14,000 Cases Of Monkeypox Globally, Five Deaths In Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 14,000 cases of monkeypox worldwide, with five deaths reported in Africa, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. Most of the cases reported thus far have been found in Europe, particularly among men who have sex with men, the WHO said, although all the deaths have occurred in Africa, the region where monkeypox outbreaks have historically been found. (7/20)
And cases continue to grow in the US, with particular focus on California —
The Hill: LGBT Groups Warn California Could Become Epicenter Of Monkeypox Outbreak
A coalition of LGBT organizations called on the Biden administration on Wednesday to expand testing and vaccine access for the monkeypox virus, warning that if no action is taken, California could become the epicenter for the disease. In a letter addressed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, the coalition raised alarm over the number of monkeypox cases — also known as hMPXV — that are effecting men who have sex with men and the transgender community. (Vella, 7/20)
The Mercury News: Q&A: Monkeypox Cases Are Climbing Fast. What's My Risk Of Catching It?
As monkeypox cases rise across the country and with 122 reported among six counties in the Bay Area as of Monday, the new virus is raising questions from a public weary of outbreaks. And while experts try to figure out exactly how the virus spreads, the Bay Area is experiencing a severe lack of vaccine supply. San Francisco announced Friday that it would be receiving around 4,000 doses of the shot, far fewer than the 35,000 it had requested earlier in the week from the federal government. Other local Bay Area counties also are reporting shortages. The federal government plans to release around 1.6 million doses in the coming months. (Greschler, 7/19)
Modesto Bee: Stanislaus County Has First Case Of Monkeypox Disease
Stanislaus County health officials have reported the county’s first case of monkeypox illness. A news release Tuesday said an adult male was infected with monkeypox disease, which has been causing outbreaks in the United States and other countries. (Carlson, 7/19)
