The first vaccine trials against the Zika virus will likely start this fall, federal health officials announced. President Barack Obama has asked Congress to approve $1.8 billion in federal spending to battle zika virus, but so far, Republicans in Congress have put up a fight, insisting that health officials should use federal money left over from the Ebola crisis, according to USA Today.

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a news briefing today that it will be difficult for vaccine trials to move forward to subsequent stages unless Congress grants the funds needed to fight the disease.

And health officials say using the money earmarked to fight Ebola isn't the answer. "The idea that we should rob Peter to pay Paul and hope that Congress replaces money that's essential to keep America safe is frankly, I think, too dangerous to do," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, told reporters, according to The Hill.

Fonte: The Financial Express (Bangladesh)