The World Health Organization (WHO) is changing the name of monkeypox virus to “MPOX”.
The nomenclature change is an attempt to destigmatize the virus at the behest of President Biden’s administration, according to a Politico report that cited three unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
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The World Health Organization maintains monkeypox’s status as a global health emergency.
(Reuters/Denis Balibouse/File Photos)
Sources said senior Biden officials have consistently urged WHO to change the name and threatened to adopt new terminology without WHO approval.
According to the report, the Biden administration believes the name “monkeypox” carries an unnecessary stigma for people of color.
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Health officials have found that administering the monkeypox vaccine via intradermal injection, or injecting a small dose between the layers of skin, is just as effective and allows a single dose to be used to vaccinate five people instead. of a.
(Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
The monkeypox outbreak continues to pose a global health emergency, which is WHO’s highest alert level, the UN agency’s Emergency Committee said in early November.
The WHO label, a “public health emergency of international interest,” is designed to trigger a coordinated international response and could unlock funding to collaborate in sharing vaccines and treatments.
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Nathan Brookes receives his second dose of monkeypox vaccine at the Balboa Sports Complex vaccination site in Los Angeles on September 8, 2022.
(Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
The United States has seen about 29,200 total cases of monkeypox within its borders.
The CDC states, “At this time, data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up the majority of cases in the current monkeypox epidemic. However, anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who has been in close personal contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk. Take steps to avoid contracting monkeypox. If you have symptoms of monkeypox, see a healthcare worker.
Reuters contributed to this report.
