After WHO Declares Monkeypox a Global Health Emergency, the U.S. is Considering a Public Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a global health emergency on Saturday. The rare designation means the WHO now views the outbreak as a significant enough threat to global health that a coordinated international response is needed. Now, U.S. health officials are discussing whether to declare a public health emergency for the monkeypox outbreak as they work to make treatments and vaccines available to more people. “We’re looking at … what are the ways the response could be enhanced, if any, by declaring a public health emergency,” White House COVID response coordinator Ashish Jha told reporters during a briefing late last week.