WASHINGTON—President Biden on Tuesday appointed a veteran emergency response officer to oversee the U.S. government’s response to the monkeypox outbreak as some of the nation’s largest states declared states of emergency.
Robert Fenton, the regional administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a two-time acting commissioner, will serve as the White House monkeypox coordinator. Alongside him, he will be replaced by Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the director of his HIV prevention division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
early morning speech A statement issued by the White House said the two men were responsible for overseeing efforts to “combat the current monkeypox outbreak, including equitably increasing the availability of testing, vaccination and treatment.” said that there is
Biden has come under pressure to nominate a person to lead the response, with the president’s backing, as the epidemic continues to spread, especially among the LGBTQ community.
The appointment came a day after California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to deal with the monkeypox outbreak. New York and Illinois have made similar declarations, as have the mayors of New York City and San Francisco.
The CDC has recorded nearly 6,000 monkeypox cases since May, nearly half of them in these three large states. No deaths have been reported so far — monkeypox is rarely fatal — but the virus can cause severe pain.
The Biden administration has not declared a state of emergency, despite the World Health Organization’s declaration late last month, but U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra is considering it.
The White House said an additional 737,000 vaccines were shipped on Monday, bringing the total doses distributed to 1.1 million.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday, “This is very important as we try to take a proactive approach to dealing with monkeypox. “This is another important and important way to make sure people are being tested to know if they have monkeypox,” he added. she pointed out.
The two officials Biden appointed Tuesday morning have extensive experience. Mr. Fenton, who oversees FEMA’s American West, has managed the response to natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and humanitarian efforts, and has twice served as the agency’s deputy administrator.
Dr. Daskalakis is recognized as a national expert on health issues affecting the LBGTQ community. He previously led New York City’s infectious disease control, including its response to Covid-19.
“Bob Fenton and Dr. Daskarakis are proven effective leaders who have led the entire government effort to implement President Biden’s comprehensive monkeypox response strategy, and the urgency this outbreak justifies. ,” Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, said in a White House statement.
