The World Health Organization will convene next week to decide whether the monkeypox outbreak constitutes an international public health emergency, the agency's director general said during a June 14 press briefing.
"The global outbreak of monkeypox is clearly unusual and concerning. It's for that reason that I have decided to convene the emergency committee under the international health regulations next week to assess whether this outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, the WHO's director-general.
The declaration would spearhead further international coordination on response efforts.
Four more updates:
1. There have been 1,600 cases confirmed globally and 1,500 suspected cases reported from 39 countries, according to WHO officials. In seven of those countries, the virus has been endemic, with 32 newly affected countries. Endemic countries have reported 72 deaths so far.
2. In the U.S., there have been 72 cases confirmed across 17 states and Washington, D.C., as of June 14. The nation has ordered 500,000 more Jynneos monkeypox vaccines from manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, bringing the U.S.' supply of the shot to nearly 2 million.
3. At this time, the WHO does not recommend widespread vaccination against monkeypox. Officials are emphasizing the importance of surveillance, contact tracing and isolation. "For contacts of cases, post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended with an appropriate second- or third-generation vaccine, ideally within four days of first exposure to prevent onset of disease," the WHO said in new interim guidance on immunization for monkeypox.
4. The agency is considering renaming monkeypox to reduce stigma and racism surrounding the virus. It is working with experts in orthopoxviruses to determine more appropriate names.