By The Star Staff
Sen. William Villafañe Ramos has requested in a letter to Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that the agency urgently address the serious situation in Puerto Rico posed by an outbreak of the dengue virus.
“Recognizing that a substantial portion of positive dengue cases nationwide originate in Puerto Rico, it is imperative to establish a collaboration between CDC and our Department of Health,” the senator said in the letter. “This collaboration should prioritize dengue education and prevention campaigns, targeting in particular the pediatric population and advocating for vaccination initiatives, given the Biden-Harris Administration’s guidelines for equitable treatment.”
The letter emphasizes that with the imminent start of the hurricane season in the coming months, there is an urgent and immediate need to mobilize available resources to prevent and shorten the growing dengue epidemic and thus avoid a public health problem in Puerto Rico.
Villafañe Ramos, who is in the running for the New Progressive Party nomination for resident commissioner, also requested help to launch comprehensive educational and outreach programs on the dengue virus in Puerto Rico, emphasizing vaccination advocacy and dengue prevention.
He stressed that the Dengvaxia vaccine, recommended for individuals aged 9 to 16 who have previously tested positive for dengue, plays a critical role in preventing serious complications after reinfection.