With no signs the monkeypox health emergency is set to lessen, a group of 14 U.S. senators wrote to congressional leadership this week in search of additional funding for a public health response in any future legislative package.
“Monkeypox is a serious threat to public health, and we need to be doing everything in our power, using all available resources, to ensure that we prevent further spread of this disease,” U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), one of the signatories, said. “With over 11,000 confirmed MPV / orthopoxvirus cases in the United States, I urge my colleagues to make this public health issue a top priority in any forthcoming legislative package.”
As of Aug. 17, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 13,500 cases nationwide. The highest counts have spread in the heavy population areas of New York and California, with 2,675 and 2,356 cases, respectively. While the United States hosts the largest case count, Wyoming is currently the only state with no reported cases.
“As the country continues to navigate the MPV PHE, the United States public health system remains on the frontlines in identifying MPV cases, informing Americans about access to vaccines and therapeutics, and connecting our constituents to necessary medical care and resources,” the senators wrote. “A recent survey conducted by the National Coalition of STD Directors of more than 100 clinics nationwide—including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), reproductive and sexual health clinics, and primary care providers—demonstrates that our country’s health professionals have the willingness and expertise to play a central role in the MPV response, and are already being called upon to do so. However, these care providers are in dire need of additional resources to scale an appropriate response and prevent the spread of the virus.”
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On Aug. 4, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services followed suit, declaring monkeypox a Public Health Emergency. However, the senators participating in this letter noted that testing efforts still encounter processing and collection barriers leading to the underreporting of cases and insufficient data to assist federal response and resource disbursement.
“Additionally, as both a prophylaxis and treatment, acquiring and administering vaccines swiftly is crucial to stemming the spread of MPV and protecting all communities across the United States,” the senators wrote. “Finally, clinics and providers are facing additional barriers in clinical services supplies, education for providers to properly identify MPV, vaccines, testing supplies, contact tracing, and community outreach to bolster our public health response to MPV and ensure that accurate and adequate information is reaching our constituents.”
In addition to Gillibrand, the letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).