DeLauro Introduces Universal Flu Vaccine Bill

WASHINGTON DC (February 28, 2018) – This week, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) introduced legislation to combat the nation-wide flu epidemic. Her bill, the Flu Vaccine Act, would invest $1 billion toward the development of a universal flu vaccine, which would provide a lifetime of protection after being administered just once or twice.

"Every year, more than 200,000 Americans are hospitalized from the flu and flu-related complications. Nationally, we are losing 4,000 Americans a week to the flu—and we have yet to hit peak flu season. We are not immune to this in Connecticut—this year's epidemic is in our state. Statewide emergency department visits are up over 14 percent, which is the highest weekly level since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. And tragically, we have seen at least 97 influenza-associated deaths in Connecticut—far above the range reported in the last five seasons."

"That is why I introduced the Flu Vaccine Act in the House. Currently, health officials are forced to predict what strains the annual flu vaccine should try to combat in any given flu season. The Flu Vaccine Act would fix this problem by investing in the creation of a universal flu vaccine—saving lives by taking the guesswork out of the equation. The flu vaccine is our most critical line of defense against this epidemic, and the federal government should reinforce that by making flu shots as effective as possible."