USA: California announces state of emergency over outbreak of Monkeypox disease

• Integrity Education, Delhi
• 03, Aug 2022

In USA, California State Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday announced a state of emergency over an outbreak of the Monkeypox disease. The Governor said, the move would help the country's most-populous state seek more vaccines and spread knowledge about the disease and treatment.

The declaration allows emergency medical personnel to administer Monkeypox vaccines that are approved by the federal government. A recent law also allows pharmacists to administer the jab. However, so far, some 25,000 doses have been administered in California. Local media reports, it comes just days after New York became the first state in the US to declare a state of emergency to tackle the outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Monday, California recorded 827 Monkeypox infections, the second-largest tally in the US after New York's 1,390 cases. The World Health Organization declared Monkeypox a global health emergency on 23rd of July. The designation is the UN agency's highest level of alert.

Since the beginning of May, the WHO has reported over 20,000 cases in nearly 78 countries. The disease has been endemic to parts of Africa for decades, however, recently leaped to Europe and North America as well as other areas of the world.

Source: News on Air