Connecticut's two U.S. senators say the $320,000 the state is receiving from the federal government to prepare for a potential Zika outbreak represents a fraction of what the state needs. Democrats Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday that Congress should pass legislation that authorizes President Obama's request for $1.9 billion to combat Zika.“Zika is coming and we will not be able to stop it unless the federal government steps up and provides emergency funding to try to research and combat this disease,” said Murphy.
Blumenthal says the money Connecticut is receiving will help prepare for a possible outbreak but will not help Connecticut respond to an actual outbreak.
“The politics is dragging down the science,” Blumenthal said. “In Connecticut, there are a number of companies on the cusp of discovery a vaccine that will help prevent the birth defect, microcephaly, hearing and vision loss that afflicts newborns as a result of this pernicious, insidious virus.”
The Obama administration recently transferred about $500 million from fighting Ebola to address Zika. So far there have been 22 cases of Zika found in Connecticut patients who traveled to another country. No locally acquired cases have been reported.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
