The United States would be authorized to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a public-private partnership developing vaccines for coronavirus and other highly infectious pathogens, under bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
The congressman on March 23 signed on as the original cosponsor of the Securing America From Epidemics (SAFE) Act, H.R. 2118, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA).
“The CEPI has been integral in our global fight to defeat COVID, providing funding for the Moderna vaccine and ensuring the manufacturing and equitable distribution of the vaccine across the world,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Our bipartisan SAFE Act will enable us to continue as a participant in the CEPI and make certain our country and world are prepared for the next pandemic.”
According to the text of the bill, increasing population and population density, human mobility, and ecological change are making emerging infectious diseases “a real and growing threat to global health security.”
And while vaccines can be the most effective tools to protect against infectious disease, the absence of vaccines for those having epidemic potential “is a major health security threat globally, posing catastrophic potential human and economic costs,” the bill states.
“We have seen firsthand the widespread devastating effects of a global pandemic on our health, economy, and national security this past year,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “Unfortunately, this will not be the last contagious and deadly virus our world will battle and confront, which is why it is of the utmost importance our country continues to be a leader in global health.”
According to the text of H.R. 2118, support for and participation in CEPI would be “an important part of the United States own health security and biodefense” and would be in the national interest, “complementing the work of many federal agencies and providing significant value through global partnership and burden-sharing.”
The measure has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.