Biden Admin. Scrambles To Address Monkeypox Spread.

August 24, 2022 Glen Turpening

The Biden Administration is having a difficult time addressing the Monkeypox viral spread. (Politico)

CDC sign outside headquarters

Federal health officials emphasize that this is not a static public health response, and say they are continuously coordinating with states and cities to make sure they have the vaccines they need. “We are working very hard to make it clear that if you are in a supply-constrained atmosphere, you will get more supply,” a senior administration official told POLITICO, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details of the administration’s monkeypox response. Though states are being sent vaccines based on a five-doses-per-vial calculation, the administration recognizes that some practitioners are not getting all five doses, and is encouraging states to submit data on the vaccines’ administration so it can adjust its response if needed, the official said.

By MEGAN MESSERLY and KRISTA MAHR, writing for 'Politico'

The Covid pandemic caused experts and health officials to rethink how contagious diseases are spread and how to contain them. Unfortunately, the lessons take a long time to sink in and what can be considered the first test dealing with a communicable disease, post Covid, has been somewhat of a failure. The Administration was caught flat footed in its response and the time to effectively contain the Monkeypox virus has come and gone. We are now probably dealing with a disease that has a firm foothold in the population and could become endemic.