The American Medical Association (AMA) recently released a statement encouraging Congress and the Obama administration to take serious, immediate action against the Zika virus in the U.S.
The Zika virus has steadily spread northward. Now it has reached the U.S., and the AMA is concerned about the lack of health response for the U.S. public.
For several months, the AMA has encouraged Congress to guarantee a strong response that will protect the American public from the Zika virus. The organization has been mailing letters to Congress since May. In June, the agency also developed new policies to request immediate action that will make important resources available in fighting the Zika virus.
"Today's news that it is highly likely that cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika virus exist in the continental United States is no surprise,” Dr. Andrew Gurman, president of the AMA, said. “This should be a wake-up call to Congress and the administration that they must resolve their differences and immediately make the necessary resources available for our country to combat the growing threat of the virus. Congress and the administration must act as quickly as possible to ensure that our country is able to deploy the kind of public health response necessary to keep our citizens safe and healthy."
