Statement attributable to:
Andrew W. Gurman, M.D.
President, American Medical Association
"Today's news that it is highly likely that cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika virus exist in the continental United States is no surprise. 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."
For months, the AMA has vigorously called on Congress to ensure a robust response to the Zika virus. The AMA sent letters to Congress in May and adopted new policy in June asking for immediate action to make available the necessary resources to prepare our nation to address the looming threat of Zika.
The AMA has compiled numerous Zika virus-related items in its online Zika Virus Resource Center, including the most up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other trusted health organizations, to help physicians prepare to handle possible cases of the virus and answer patients' questions. The AMA will continue to support health care professionals in combatting and preventing complications from the Zika virus.
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About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
