US may require nearly $10b to combat monkeypox outbreak: Report

Medical staff preparing monkeypox vaccines at a clinic in Chicago on July 25, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The Biden administration estimates it may need nearly US$7 billion (S$10 billion) to deal with the monkeypox outbreak in the United States, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday (July 26).

The funding estimate was part of a memo marked to President Joe Biden outlining a series of options, as opposed to a formal funding request, the report said. The White House and the US Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The news comes days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.

Nearly 70 countries in which the viral disease is not endemic have reported outbreaks, crossing 17,800 confirmed cases. The US had reported 3,487 cases by Tuesday.

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