Monday 23 May 2022 03:16 PM Biden assures Americans that the US has enough vaccines to deal with outbreak ... trends now
President Joe Biden assured Americans the nation has enough vaccines to handle the monkeypox outbreak Monday, as the WHO warned its spread may accelerate in the summer and health chiefs probed links to festivals in Spain and Belgium as being centers of transmission for the virus.
Speaking on his first visit to Japan since taking office, Biden pointed out the U.S. had faced 'larger numbers' of monkeypox cases in the past and said there was 'no need' to impose any extra restrictions at this time.
It was a shift in tone from the weekend in South Korea, where the President warned before boarding Air Force One that 'everyone' should be concerned about the disease spreading outside west Africa — where it is endemic.
As many as 92 cases have been detected so far across 16 nations — mostly in Europe — with at least another 28 being probed, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. American officials have confirmed one case of monkeypox in Massachusetts, and are probing two others in New York City and Florida.
Health chiefs are alarmed about the 'unprecedented' cluster of cases, which has disproportionately struck gay and bisexual men.
A WHO scientist warned today sexual contact with infectious skin lesions in the genital area had 'amplified' transmission of the virus across Europe and North America.
Several cases have now been linked back to a Gay Pride festival attended by 80,000 in Gran Canaria, Spain, and a fetish festival in Antwerp, Belgium.
European countries have been told to move to red alert and prepare a vaccination plan for people who come into contact with an infectious case.
Three US states have so far revealed they are probing cases of monkeypox. In both Massachusetts and Florida they have been linked back to international travel
The outbreak has now spread to 16 countries, with Argentina becoming the 17th to say it is probing a suspected case
President Joe Biden tried to assure Americans while speaking at a press conference in Japan Monday. He said the spread of the virus did not raise as much concern as that of Covid back in March 2020
Asked if the outbreak was similar to the early days of Covid, Biden said: 'I just don't think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with Covid.
'Look, we've had this monkeypox in larger numbers in the past.
'Number two, we have vaccines to take care of it. Number three, thus far, there doesn't seem to be the need for any kind of extra efforts beyond what's going on.'
Biden said yesterday: 'Well, [the health advisors] haven't told me the level of exposure yet, but it is something that everybody should be concerned about.
'We're working on it hard to figure out what we do and what vaccine, if any, may be available for it.
'But it is a concern — if it were to spread, it's consequential. But that's all they've told me.'
Florida became the third U.S. state to reveal it was probing a suspected
