Situation Report of MPOX in Global and ASEAN Region - 24 August 2022

Global Update

• Worldwide, there have been over 608 million cases and over 6 million deaths attributed to COVID-19.

• USA: The United States government anticipates running out of COVID-19 vaccinations and antiviral medications over the course of the upcoming year and is preparing for their sale on the open market, the Department of Health and Human Services reported on August 30.3 According to a blog post by Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O'Connell, President Joe Biden's administration anticipates running out of federal funding for purchasing and dispersing COVID-19 vaccines by January, despite having already purchased more than 170 million doses for a booster campaign later this year.3 According to O'Connell, the administration has enough Paxlovid, a Pfizer (PFE.N) antiviral medication, to last until mid-2023, but other pharmaceuticals developed by Merck & Co. (MRK.N) and AstraZeneca (AZN.L) are expected to hit the market sooner.3 [Full Article]