Is Declaring a Public Health Emergency a Pandemic?

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When something's declared o public health emergency, that's different than declaring it a pandemic. What actually qualifies as a pandemic is a lot less clear than what qualifies as an emergency. A pendemic is basically an outbreak that has spread world wide and that is out of control. Whereas there is still a window of opportunity open when you declare something an emergency.

Gay men, queer people, and their partners represent an overwhelming majority of monkeypox cases. But even though the WHO just declared the disease a global health emergency, resources like vaccines, testing, and treatment remain largely out of reach. Health reporter Keren Landman and virologist Joseph Osmundson explain.

This episode was produced by Victoria Dominguez, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King.

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