NYC health commissioner calls on WHO to change name of monkeypox virus
NYC health commissioner Ashwin Vasan wrote a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO), joining several health professionals urging them to change the name of the monkeypox virus.
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Jul 27, 2022, 2:16 AM
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Updated 880 days ago
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556ds agoNYC
health commissioner Ashwin Vasan wrote a letter to the World Health
Organization (WHO), joining several health professionals urging them to change
the name of the monkeypox virus.
The
commissioner made clear in his letter that he feels the name monkeypox could
bring back stigmas in both the Black and LGBTQ+ community.
Vasan
is worried that if these stigmas arise, people could avoid getting the help
they need if infected, referencing a similar occurrence during the heart of the
HIV/AIDS pandemic.
“They
should change the name,” said Mark Thompson, a Canarsie local. “It is not from
monkeys. They need to leave it alone and figure out where this is coming from.”
WHO
announced over a month ago that monkeypox was categorized as a global health
emergency, and that they were working with experts on changing the name.
According
to city data, 1,092 people have contracted the monkeypox virus in New York
City.
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