Tim Kaine vice presidential campaign, 2016/Epidemic control

Ballotpedia's scope changes periodically, and this article type is no longer actively created or maintained. It may also contain neutrality issues.

Tim Kaine
Democratic vice presidential nominee
Running mate: Hillary Clinton

Election
Democratic National Convention • Polls • Presidential debates • Vice presidential debate • Presidential election by state

On the issues
Domestic affairs • Economic affairs and government regulations • Foreign affairs and national security

Other candidates
Donald Trump (R) • Jill Stein (G) • Gary Johnson (L) • Vice presidential candidates

This page was current as of the 2016 election.

See what Tim Kaine and the Democratic Platform have said about epidemic control.

CANDIDATE SUMMARY
Kaine supports legislation to fund Zika virus research and prevention that does not shift other healthcare funds.
Kaine signed into law a bill requiring sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus in Virginia, so long as parents did not object.

Kaine on epidemic control

During a campaign event in Daytona Beach, Fla., on August 2, 2016, Kaine called on Republican leadership to reconvene Congress to pass new Zika legislation. He said, “Congress should not be in recess when Zika is advancing. We ought to go back and call an emergency session.” Senate Democrats filibustered the $1.1 billion funding bill that passed in the House after the House added language to restrict funding for women's health care and shift funds away from Obamacare. Kaine explained to the crowd, "The House put what we call a poison pill in it. They cared more about Planned Parenthood than they did Zika. Folks, Planned Parenthood is not a public health emergency. Planned parenthood is an important health provider.”^[1]

On July 5, 2016, Kaine hosted a roundtable discussion in Richmond to learn more about Virginia's Zika virus preparedness efforts and to discuss how the federal government could work together with state and local governments to combat Zika. “State and local health officials are working diligently in Virginia on what we can do to be prepared against the Zika virus, and I wanted to hear from them today and be educated about their efforts,” Kaine said following his discussion with public health officials and health advocacy groups. “There is a significant need for Zika related funding from Congress. As of June 23rd, nearly 300 pregnant women in the United States have had lab evidence of a Zika infection, along with 250 women in the territories. I will continue to do everything I can in the Senate to find a funding agreement that ensures our public health infrastructure has the tools to do the job, that increases research on this disease – particularly on the vaccine side – and that looks into methods of mosquito eradication in the short-term.”^[2]

On March 2, 2007, Kaine, then the governor of Virginia, announced that he would sign legislation requiring all sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus that causes cervical cancer so long as their parents do not object. Kaine had earlier expressed concern about mandating vaccinations but said that he was satisfied with the final language in the bill. "The particular language that ended up in the bill is fine," Kaine said. "It's very broad, and people get information about the health benefits and any health concerns about the vaccination, and they get to make their own decisions. I think that is the right balance." Virginia was the second state after Texas to require the vaccine.^[3]

On October 17, 2014, U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (D-Va.) requested information on how Virginia was preparing to identify and treat patients who presented with Ebola symptoms. The senators asked Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Services William Hazel and President and CEO of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association Sean Connaughton about supplies, training, and whether additional resources were needed to aid preparedness efforts. “Hospitals and providers are the first line of defense for the public, and Virginia is home to a robust public health infrastructure,” wrote Warner and Kaine. “While there have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in Virginia, it is important that the Commonwealth is fully prepared to address any potential public health need.”^[4]

In September 2014, Kaine co-sponsored a Senate resolution to recognize the threat Ebola posed to West Africa and the potential threat Ebola posed globally.

Read what the 2016 presidential candidates and other vice presidential candidates said about epidemic control.

The 2016 Democratic Party Platform on epidemic control

“	Global Health "America has made critical investments in global health, including in the areas of maternal and child health, HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. It is vital that we continue this work—which has saved millions of lives around the world and is essential to our nation’s health security. While the Republican Party refuses to fund important measures that could contain and address the Zika pandemic, Democrats are ready to limit the reach of Zika—just as we did with Ebola—and support funding for diagnostic tests for the virus, vaccine, and treatment. We will also prepare for potential pandemics, like avian influenza and H1N1, by working with first responders and health officials to reduce the risks associated with unintentional or deliberate outbreaks of infectious diseases."^[5]	”
—2016 Democratic Party Platform^[6]

This section links to a Google news search for the term Tim + Kaine + Zika + Vaccination