Tim Kaine vice presidential campaign, 2016/Epidemic control
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
On February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization declared microencephaly and other neurological disorders resulting from the Zika virus a public health emergency.[1] Nearly all domestic Zika cases were travel-related, but more than a dozen came from Wynwood, Florida, the first active transmission area in the U.S.[2][3][4] Legislative efforts to fund a public health response to Zika stalled ahead of Congress' summer recess and were again blocked when Congress returned after Labor Day.[5]
In addition to responding to the spread of Zika, the 2016 presidential and vice presidential candidates commented on other epidemic control issues like 2014's Ebola outbreak and mandatory and childhood vaccinations.
See what Tim Kaine and the Democratic Platform have said about epidemic control.
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Kaine on epidemic control
Zika virus
- 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.”[6]
- 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.”[7]
Vaccinations
- 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.[8]
Ebola
- 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.”[9]
- 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.
| The 2016 Democratic Party Platform on epidemic control | ||||||
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Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Tim + Kaine + Zika + Vaccination
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ World Health Organization, "Zika virus and complications," accessed August 6, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "'It's definitely scary': Miami residents grapple with Zika," August 5, 2016
- ↑ The Miami Herald, "New Zika case in SW Miami-Dade being investigated as spraying in Wynwood kills mosquitoes," August 4, 2016
- ↑ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Case Counts in the U.S." accessed September 14, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Zika Bill Is Blocked by Senate Democrats Upset Over Provisions," June 28, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Kaine calls on GOP to cancel recess and pass Zika bill," August 2, 2016
- ↑ Tim Kaine United States Senator for Virginia, "Kaine Receives Briefing on Virginia's Zika Virus Preparedness Efforts," July 5, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Kaine Says He'll Sign Bill Making Shots Mandatory," March 3, 2007
- ↑ Tim Kaine United States Senator for Virginia, "WARNER, KAINE REQUEST UPDATE ON VIRGINIA HOSPITALS’ EBOLA RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS & NEEDS FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES," October 17, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Democratic Party, "The 2016 Democratic Party Platform," accessed August 5, 2016
