On Dec. 2, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued a 60-day notice that the mpox emergency declaration would expire in January 2023.
“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,” Becerra said in a statement. “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.”
Becerra originally declared mpox a public health emergency (PHE) on Aug. 4 and renewed the PHE for an additional 90 days on Nov. 2 [refer to Washington Highlights, Aug. 5].
The HHS adopted the term mpox following the World Health Organization’s recommendation on Nov. 28. In a press release from the HHS, the White House offered its support of the name change.
“We welcome the change by the World Health Organization. We must do all we can to break down barriers to public health, and reducing stigma associated with disease is one critical step in our work to end mpox,” Becerra said.