Boston Globe: Funding to fight Zika virus shouldn’t wait
Editorial Board

“…Congress must treat Zika as a health emergency and fully fund the Obama administration’s $1.9 billion proposal to combat it. … Money is not only needed for more research to understand the disease, but also to develop a vaccine and faster and better tests for Zika, as well as for mosquito control efforts. … Congress should approve Zika funding before leaving for another recess. … [O]nly a prompt, focused, and fully committed response will prevent the virus from doing the kind of damage it’s already doing to mothers, babies, and others in nearby nations and Puerto Rico” (5/17).

Huffington Post: The Zika Virus: Pandemic Preparedness Is Needed Now!
Susan Blumenthal, public health editor at the Huffington Post, senior fellow in health policy at New America, clinical professor at Tufts and Georgetown University Schools of Medicine, and senior policy and medical adviser at amfAR; Ladan Fakory, health policy fellow at New America; and Alec Kingston, a health policy intern at New America

“The spread and impact of the Zika virus is yet another wake-up call for the global community, following the Ebola crisis, that infectious diseases pose significant threats to human health and international security. … The Zika pandemic underscores the importance of prevention and public health preparedness in mitigating the spread of disease and promoting global health. … Making significant investments now to strengthen the scientific knowledge base, develop new global health technologies that can be deployed in combination with proven public health practices, as well as strengthen health systems with a coordinated national and international response, will ensure our ability to fight Zika and other emerging infectious disease threats more swiftly and effectively, moving from peril to progress in the years ahead…” (5/16).