Multiple emergencies strain U.S. public health system: CNN

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19, monkeypox, polio and influenza, which is expected to return this fall, are straining the U.S. public health system that largely depends on vaccines to cope, CNN reported on Monday.

"While the federal government will facilitate getting these inoculations to states, it will be the 2,820 state and local health departments that will spearhead the work of getting shots into arms, and public experts say it's not clear that these offices have enough funding or staff to get the job done," said an article posted on CNN's website.

After almost three years of contending with vaccine hesitancy, politics and a global pandemic, many public health workers in the country are frayed and leaving their posts. One in four health department leaders quit their jobs, the article said.

"Now, these depleted agencies are being asked to tackle new threats like monkeypox without additional funding to handle them," it said.

Meanwhile, vaccine hesitancy has increased in the country, fueled by misinformation on social media, CNN said, noting that 19 percent of Americans reject any COVID-19 vaccine.