Statement From HHS Secretary Becerra on mpox

Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released the following statement on mpox:

From the outset of the mpox outbreak, the Administration pulled every lever to stop the spread of this virus. In August, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a Public Health Emergency that further strengthened and accelerated the response to produce results. Given the low number of cases today, HHS does not expect that it needs to renew the emergency declaration when it ends on January 31, 2023. But we won’t take our foot off the gas – we will continue to monitor the case trends closely and encourage all at-risk individuals to get a free vaccine. As we move into the next phase of this effort, the Biden-Harris Administration continues working closely with jurisdictions and partners to monitor trends, especially in communities that have been disproportionately affected.