The U.S. is fighting the Zika virus with “one hand tied behind our backs,” according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden.
Despite pleas from Frieden and other public health officials, Congress left Washington earlier this month without passing emergency funding to combat the Zika virus, which causes severe birth defects and has been found in more than 1,400 Americans.
“We have an unprecedented health threat, and we don’t have the robust resources that would enable us to respond most effectively,” Frieden told Time magazine this week. “Without additional resources, this is like fighting a fight with one hand tied behind our backs.”
All of the cases in the U.S. so far are related to travel, although officials are investigating cases in Florida and Utah to determine whether they were contracted via local transmission. If local transmission begins, largely through mosquitoes, the virus could spread much more rapidly.
Frieden said that without additional funding, his agency has been forced to dip into other funds to respond to the virus. He also said additional funds could have prompted a more comprehensive research effort into studying exactly how the Zika virus affects fetuses and developing a vaccine.
“We may have problems in states around the U.S. because money isn’t available to do things like respond to other outbreaks or address the health needs that arise with flooding or hurricanes,” Frieden said. “We’ve had to reduce funding for a range of emergencies to address the Zika emergency. That’s not a sensible way to do it, but it’s the only option we had.”
Republicans approved a Zika funding measure of $1.1 billion, short of the $1.9 billion President Obama had requested, but Senate Democrats blocked it over objections to the lower funding levels and additional prohibitions on directing the money to Planned Parenthood clinics.
