WHO Considers Reclassifying Mpox as Public Health Emergency, Triggers Vaccine Listing

Aug 8, 2024, 05:09 AM

The World Health Organization (WHO) is considering reclassifying mpox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). This decision is part of a broader strategy involving the newly amended International Health Regulations (IHRs) and the renegotiation of the pandemic treaty. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has convened a meeting to discuss this reclassification and has triggered the emergency use listing for the mpox vaccine. Some experts, such as Dr. Malone, have criticized this move, dismissing it as 'fear porn' and questioning the criteria for declaring a PHEIC. Mpox is noted as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). The WHO has released an explainer video on how such emergencies are considered and declared.