Obama urges Congress to pass Zika prevention bill
President Barack Obama says a vaccine for the Zika virus could be developed in “fairly short order” if Congress acts quickly to pass a bill to prevent the spread of the disease.
Obama says researchers are beginning to develop and test a vaccine for the mosquito-borne virus. He says that if the effort is well funded he’s “fairly confident” an effective vaccine could be developed before the virus spreads to the continental U.S.
Full coverage: Zika virus outbreak »
Obama made the remarks Friday after being briefed by top health officials at the White House.
The president is trying to pressure Congress to pass a Zika prevention bill that has been stalled for weeks. He criticized lawmakers for “playing politics” with public health. He says lawmakers should not take their summer recess before passing a bill.
ALSO
Two new vaccines can protect against Zika after a single shot
Senate Democrats block GOP’s bill to fund Zika fight
Number of pregnant women with Zika in U.S. spikes with new counting method
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
