Rabat – Major US cities have started to issue monkeypox alerts as case numbers continue to rise across the country, which is also facing a vaccine shortage.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett declared monkeypox an imminent threat to public health, in the midst of a vaccine shortage.
The declaration means that health departments will be able to access additional state funds, in addition to maximizing federal funding sources.
In San Francisco, which recorded around 281 cases, Mayor London Breed has also raised alarm bells, declaring a state of emergency in the city.
“We are at a very scary place. And we don’t want to be ignored by the federal government in our need,” she said, adding that the city is in a desperate need of vaccines.
As worries continue to rise that the US may have missed its window to contain the outbreak, federal officials have reassured the public that the spread can still be stopped, despite vaccine supply problems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern,” issuing the highest level alert over the virus.
The declaration came in spite of the fact that some members of the WHO’s committee disagreed with the verdict.
In Morocco, experts continue to assert that the Monkeypox situation is “under control,” but the population is still fearing precautionary measures, as multiple sectors try to recover from a similar shock that was delivered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
