WHO will rename “Monkeypox” to “MPOX” at the request of Biden’s admin

The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to change the name of the monkeypox virus to “MPOX”.

The nomenclature change is an attempt to destigmatize the virus at the behest of President Biden’s administration, according to a Politico report citing three unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter.

WHO CHIEF SCIENTIST SOUMYA SWAMINATHAN LEGISLATION AGENCY

The World Health Organization maintains the status of monkeypox as a global health emergency.
(REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo)

The sources said senior Biden officials have consistently urged the WHO to change the name and threatened to adopt new terminology without WHO approval.

According to the report, the Biden administration believes the name “monkeypox” carries an unnecessary stigma for people of color.

MONKEYPOX IN THE NUMBERS: FACTS ABOUT THE RARE VIRUS THAT IS CURRENTLY SPREADING

Health officials have found that administering the monkeypox vaccine by intradermal injection, or injecting a small dose between layers of skin, is just as effective, allowing a single dose to be used to vaccinate five people instead of one.
(REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

The monkeypox outbreak remains a global health emergency, which is the WHO’s highest alert level, the UN agency’s Emergency Committee said in early November.

The WHO label, a “public health emergency of international interest,” is designed to trigger a coordinated international response and could unlock funding to collaborate on the sharing of vaccines and treatments.

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Agoura’s Nathan Brookes receives his second monkeypox vaccine at the vaccination site at the Balboa Sports Complex in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.
((Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images))

The United States has seen approximately 29,200 cases of monkeypox in total within its borders.

The CDC states: “At this time, data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men account for the majority of cases in the current monkeypox outbreak. However, anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who has Has been in close personal contact with someone who has monkeypox Take steps to prevent monkeypox If you have any symptoms of monkeypox, talk to a health care provider medical”.

Reuters contributed to this report.