White House transfers $81 million funds to develop Zika vaccine.
The administration of US President Barack Obama is determined to develop a vaccine to combat the Zika virus which is rapidly spreading in some states now.
This is in the absence of any funding from the US Congress even it was proposed in the previous months.
On Friday, the administration said that it will transfer $81 million from existing federal health programs to continue work on developing a Zika vaccine.
In a letter addressed to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said she was allocating $34 million in funding to the National Institutes of Health and $47 million to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Reuters reported.
The funding is intended to keep research going on a potential Zika vaccine even though Congress has failed to act on it. President Obama asked in February for $1.9 million to help fight the virus. Congress left for summer recess without agreeing on a spending plan.
There is currently no vaccine or cure for Zika, which has spread to more than 50 countries and territories since the outbreak began last year in Brazil. The virus which is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes has been found to cause devastating birth defects in babies whose mothers were infected during pregnancy.
As health officials had been warning for months, Zika started spreading in the United States this summer. To date, at least 25 people have been infected by local mosquitoes in South Florida. More than 1,900 other people in the U.S. have contracted the virus during travel overseas.
Research on a potential vaccine entered early-stage trials last week. The vaccine will be tested in human volunteers to (–foul word(s) removed–)s its safety and its ability to generate an immune system response, according to the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
For now, World Health Organization warns the public to use insect repellents, and wear long sleeves and long pants – especially during daylight, when the mosquitoes tend to be most active, in order to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Eliminating breeding spots and controlling mosquito populations can help prevent the spread of the virus.
