Since Republicans in Congress apparently agree with the Trump campaign that Zika is an insignificant issue, they ran off for the summer without allocating any funds for the fight. The only money available is funds that the Obama administration took from other programs.
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services shifted $374 million from other programs to fight Zika in the U.S., with $222 million allocated to the Centers for Disease Control. The funds have rapidly been depleted during the summer mosquito season. The National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority are both expected to run out of funds by the end of the month, and other funds will be depleted by the end of the year, Burwell said.
Republicans delayed taking action for months, then dropped a poison pill-laden bill in the Senate at the last minute, knowing that the bill. which included attacks on the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood, as well as directly reducing funds in Puerto Rico where Zika is exploding, would never pass.
Tim Kaine has called for Senators to put down their margaritas and return to the capitol to take care of this vital issue. So far that’s brought nothing but taunts from Republicans who would rather use the issue to score political points than take any action to save lives.
And as the money runs out …
“A delay in this stage of development will delay when a safe and effective Zika vaccine is available to the American public,” she wrote. “In addition, research and development of other vaccine candidates, diagnostics, therapeutics and vector control technologies may be constrained.”