People wait in line to receive the monkeypox vaccine in New York on July 17, 2022 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra’s emergency declaration will help mobilize more resources to fight the outbreak. Becerra urged every American to take monkeypox seriously and take responsibility to help tackle this virus.

There have been approximately 7,000 cases of monkeypox reported in the US. Experts say the actual number of cases may be much higher because symptoms can be difficult to detect.