In my chat this week with Lars, we covered a range of issues, starting with the World Health Organization (WHO). I agreed with his criticism of the organization, noting that it, like many UN agencies, is highly political and often jumps the gun when declaring public health emergencies. While they’ve raised alarms about monkeypox, the strain in the U.S. (Clade 2) primarily affects the homosexual community, a fact that the media tends to overlook.
We also discussed the more serious Clade 1 strain, which is spreading in Africa and has a far broader range of spread. Although it hasn't reached the U.S. in any significant way, it’s still a concern. The WHO's decision to declare monkeypox a global emergency seems premature, but it does signal the need for more vaccines, especially in countries with weaker healthcare infrastructures.
While I think the WHO is overreacting, the situation highlights ongoing public health challenges, particularly in underdeveloped regions (from which outbreaks can spread elsewhere).
You can find our entire conversation here.
For a deeper look:
Mpox: Another Virus-Caused Public Health Emergency
Think *Your* Job Sucks? Epidemiologists Study Mpox by Collecting Used Condoms
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. His research focuses on public policy toward science, technology, and medicine, encompassing a number of areas, including pharmaceutical development, genetic engineering, models for regulatory reform, precision medicine, and the emergence of new viral diseases. Dr. Miller served for fifteen years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a number of posts, including as the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology.
