WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, chaired by Rep. Tim Murphy, M.D. (R-PA), announced a hearing for Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at 10 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “U.S. Public Health Response to the Zika Virus: Continuing Challenges."
#SubOversight will examine challenges and concerns with the U.S. public health response to the Zika virus outbreak, including the ability to determine the link between Zika and other illnesses, the efficacy and limits of available diagnostic testing, the status of vaccine development, and the federal government’s plan to respond to the potential future spread of the virus.
Confirmed to testify are:
* Timothy Persons, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, U.S. Government Accountability Office
* Lyle R. Petersen, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
* Luciana Borio, M.D., Acting Chief Scientist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
* Anthony Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
* Rick A. Bright, Ph.D., Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
“The Zika virus is still a threat and as we head into the summer months, it’s critical we examine whether our public health agencies are adequately prepared to respond to any Zika outbreaks in the U.S. this year," said Chairman Murphy. “As we continue this important work, and build on our March 2016 hearing, I look forward to guidance from these experts in helping to identify areas for improvement so our public health agencies are better equipped for future outbreaks - Zika or otherwise."
In addition to the March 2016 hearing examining our preparedness for the Zika virus, #SubOversight also held a February 2016 hearing examining shortfalls in preparedness of our biodefense programs.as they are posted. See Also
* U.S. Public Health Response to the Zika Virus: Continuing Challenges
