James Clenstein, founder of the AIDS advocacy group PrEP4All and organizer of the protests in Montreal, said the appointment was long overdue. He has earned a great deal of trust,” he said, “and is an excellent doctor and epidemiologist.”
“All my friends who had monkeypox tried to get vaccinated in late May or early June,” said Clernstein, adding that he knew 12 people who were infected. Because of the federal government’s failure, they are “unable to get vaccinated, unable to protect themselves, sick and in excruciating and inhuman pain,” he said.
The response so far has been largely coordinated by Dr. Raj Panjabi, Director of Global Health Security and Biodefense at the National Security Council. Its responsibilities include defending against infectious disease threats. Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, also played a role, as did CDC official Dr. Jennifer McQuiston. Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Centralizing response efforts at the White House gives the government more flexibility to coordinate efforts across the various agencies that may be involved, including FEMA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Homeland Security. A designated team will also be created that will have no other responsibilities other than to fight monkeypox. The move makes sense, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser.
“We want people with extensive experience in implementing public health programs, as Bob Fenton did in distributing Covid vaccines, to be not just doctors with experience in infectious diseases and public health, but to be very active with the community. A strong and trusted connection to the monkeypox is a very important addition to the overall monkeypox response,” Dr. Fauci said in an interview.
early morning speech The White House executive director said their responsibilities include “enhancing equitable access to testing, vaccination and treatment.”
