California and Illinois on Monday declared health emergencies in their states regarding the monkeypox virus.
The governors’ proclamation will accelerate the administration of vaccines, the work of contact tracing, and prevention efforts, officials said.
The White House on Monday night bolstered its footing against the virus by confirming Bob Fenton and Demetre Daskalakis will be announced Tuesday as national monkeypox coordinator and as deputy, respectively.
Fenton helped lead the country’s mass vaccination effort for Covid-19 as the Federal Emergency Management Agency acting administrator. Daskalakis is director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV prevention division.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s top medical adviser, said the pair represents “a really good combination” to tackle an illness that still presents some mysteries, including whether the virus can spread when a carrier has no symptoms.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a statement Monday that his move would bring to the fight “a whole-of-government response” that will help fund vaccination outreach and research.
“We’ll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization,” he said.
The proclamation will allow emergency medical services workers to administer monkeypox vaccines, the governor’s office said.
The state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic will serve as a guide to launch vaccine clinics in targeted communities, according to Newsom’s statement.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, the author of several laws regarding LGBTQ+ issues, welcomed the declaration on monkeypox. “We need to use every tool we have to control it,” he said in a statement.
In Illinois, Pritzker said in a statement that his declaration will likewise give the Department of Public Health the full power of the state to distribute vaccines and to inform the public about the virus.