- Sen. Rick Scott wrote to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Tuesday expressing concern over the outbreak of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Florida
- Though it’s too early to tell how the virus will continue to spread in the state, the Florida Department of Health noted a rising case count in children, as well as a nine-year-high number of RSV hospitalizations for those 65 years and older
- While the spread of the virus is still developing in Florida, several states have been hard-hit, leading to a shortage of hospital beds, leading Scott to raise an early concern over how the outbreak will be handled
- In order to receive clarification as to what the HHS’ strategy moving forward will be, Scott submitted a series of six questions that he asks Becerra to respond to by January 3rd.
Sen. Rick Scott penned a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Tuesday expressing concern over the surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases in Florida.
Scott noted that it’s still too early to know how RSV will develop in Florida, but the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) has recorded a rising case count in children, as well as a nine-year-high number of RSV hospitalizations for those 65 years and older.
While the spread of the virus is still developing in Florida, several states have been hard-hit, resulting in a shortage of hospital beds, leading Scott to raise an early concern over how the outbreak will be handled.
“Already, we’re hearing alarming stories about the effects RSV is having on hospitals. Hospitals in Maryland have had to transfer patients out of state because they had run out of space,” said Scott. “Children’s hospitals in Michigan and New York are facing similar bed shortages. Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Health has noted that the number of RSV cases is above-average for Florida.”
In order to receive clarification as to what the HHS’ strategy moving forward will be, Scott submitted a series of six questions that he asks Becerra to respond to by Jan. 3rd.
The questions include a general overview of what the HHS is doing to address RSV’s spread, as well as an inquiry into what resources are being made available for state and municipal departments of health to curb and treat infections.
Scott also sought clarification as to what the HHS is doing to monitor hospital bed availability and how it plans to coordinate care across county and state lines, including how the agency is managing potential shortages of medications and PPE equipment.
Lastly, Florida’s Junior Senator seeks information regarding efforts to provide information to hospitals about the resources available to them.
“A surge of RSV could be detrimental to our already struggling economy, as Americans would be forced to stay home to care for themselves, their children, or their parents,” continued Scott. “we must ensure our healthcare systems are adequately prepared to treat rising cases. And in order to prevent a greater outbreak, HHS must have the right plans in place, be able to execute those plans, and ensure critical resources are able to be moved to where they are most needed.”
Marco Rubio, Florida’s other senator, recently spoke on the shortage of the antibiotic amoxicillin, which is used to treat RSV, calling for a decreased dependency on foreign entities for pharmaceutical goods and services.
Rubio states that such a dependence stating could corner the American people into becoming vulnerable during the next viral outbreak.
“We need to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to America, and every moment that we stand idle puts millions of people in jeopardy,” wrote Rubio.
‼️ ICYMI ‼️
Sen. Rubio in @Newsweek: Amoxicillin shortage shows the need for domestic drug production and #MMEDSAct
Read the op-ed⬇️https://t.co/lguXgDqLkN
— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) November 28, 2022
In 2019 Rubio spoke out against moving drug production overseas despite lowered labor costs and increased corporate profits, pointing out that it came with the cost of becoming reliant on nations.
80 percent of the medical industry’s active pharmaceutical ingredients for drugs like amoxicillin came from overseas by 2019, with a majority of ingredients traceable to countries like China.
To combat this trend, Rubio reintroduced his Medical Manufacturing, Economic Development, and Sustainability (MMEDS) Act in 2020. The bill intended to introduce financial incentives to encourage the relocation of medical and pharmaceutical productions to the U.S.
The bill, however, fell on deaf ears and died in the legislative process.
So, “80 percent of the medical industry’s active pharmaceutical ingredients for drugs like amoxicillin came from overseas by 2019, with a majority of ingredients traceable to countries like China.” Well, what’s good for manufacturing profits has to be good for America, right? And we are in the hands of a compassionate democracy whose leaders would never think of introducing epidemics threatening our well-being or cut off necessary drugs, right?