New York City’s public health commissioner Ashwin Vasan asked the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 to rename the monkeypox virus to avoid stigmatizing patients who might defer seeking medical care.
New York has seen more cases of the disease than any other city in the United States. WHO declared a global health emergency the weekend of July 23-24, 2022. New York City has reported 1,092 infections detected.
“We’re calling on WHO to act immediately to rename the “monkeypox” virus. We have a growing concern for the potentially stigmatizing effects that the messaging around the “monkeypox” virus can have on vulnerable communities.”
— Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, MD, PhD
We're calling on @WHO to act immediately to rename the “monkeypox” virus. We have a growing concern for the potentially stigmatizing effects that the messaging around the “monkeypox” virus can have on vulnerable communities. Read our letter: https://t.co/hC6L8o60TH pic.twitter.com/G8CQ9ueaMJ
— Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, MD, PhD (@NYCHealthCommr) July 26, 2022