• March 28, 2024

Why Did The CDC Just Make A Massive Change To Monkeypox Guidance?

 Why Did The CDC Just Make A Massive Change To Monkeypox Guidance?

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) QUITELY removed a recommendation that people wear masks from its monkeypox travel alert on June 6.

The move came just one day after the CDC raised its monkeypox alert to level 2 (the highest is level 3), advising Americans to take precautions while traveling but suggesting Americans don’t need to cancel travel plans.

Here’s what the CDC wrote in its alert:

“Cases of monkeypox have been reported in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Some cases were reported among men who have sex with men. Some cases were also reported in people who live in the same household as an infected person.”

In travel guidance updated last week, the agency said, “Wearing a mask can help protect you from many diseases, including monkeypox.” 

However, on June 7 the CDC said in a statement to the Times that they “removed the mask recommendation from the monkeypox travel health notice because it caused confusion.” 

More details from a Daily Wire report:

According to The Washington Times, a spokesperson for the CDC did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on the guidance. It is not clear if the guidance has been reversed. Presently the CDC still recommends that individuals infected with monkeypox wear surgical masks during quarantine to avoid infecting other members of their household.

Mask mandates have been a subject of considerable controversy in recent months. In April a federal judge struck down the national mask mandate on airports, airplanes, and other types of mass transportation, arguing that the mandate “exceeded the CDC’s statutory authority” and was “unlawful.”

The Biden Administration described that decision as “disappointing,” and the Department of Justice, at the recommendation of the CDC, is attempting to appeal that ruling.

Sources: DailyWire, The New York Times

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