This Thanksgiving holiday is about much more than turkey and pumpkin pie. The novel Coronavirus has taken a lot from us this year. Many of us have been personally affected by this virus whether it’s been thru losing a love one or having our lives completely changed, but it is still important for us to reflect and be grateful. This month, not one but three effective Coronavirus vaccines were announced. We have therapeutics and treatments producing more successful outcomes. Americans have stepped up each and every day. We have seen front line health care workers put their lives on hold to defea... Read More »
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) and Congressman Michael C. Burgess (TX-26) introduced H.R. 8807, the Electric Vehicle Mobility Area Planning Act (EV MAP Act). The bill would create a $10 million grant program to assist localities and electric utilities to identify the locations for electric vehicle charging stations in their communities. O’Halleran and Burgess’ legislation will assist communities in saving money on transportation costs, reducing environmental impacts from tailpipe emissions, and gaining access to new, cutting edge transportation technology by providing con... Read More »
November 23, 2020 Dear Friends, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have given us something to be thankful for: another COVID-19 vaccine candidate with positive interim Phase 3 results. Data showed the vaccine candidate to be 70 percent effective in protecting recipients from COVID-19. This overall effectiveness rate is based on the average of two dosing regimens explored in the trial; the vaccine was deemed 90 percent effective when distributed as a half dose followed by a full dose, and 62 percent effective when received as two full doses. I hope each of you finds a way to safely celeb... Read More »
by Michael McCardel, Jason Whitely, Berna Dean Steptoe ... The ranking Republican on the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health, and Congress’ most senior medical doctor, says he will urge his constituents to get a coronavirus vaccine when the time comes. “Absolutely, when it becomes available,” Congressman Michael Burgess said on Inside Texas Politics. “If I’m not accused of breaking in line, I’ll be one of the first to take it just to demonstrate that I’ve got absolute confidence in the process and how the vaccine was developed and the science behind it.” Pfizer recently became the first company ... Read More »
“Help, I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” Many of us remember this commercial depicting an elderly woman, known as Mrs. Fletcher, who had fallen, but with the help of a medical pendant worn like a necklace, first responders are alerted through the press of a button. LifeCall, the maker of the medical pendant, began running this commercial in 1989 in perhaps the first popular application of wearable technology. What is Wearable Technology? Today, wearable technology is the Apple Watch, Fitbit, Wear OS by Google, or other fitness trackers we enjoy. According to a 2019 Pew Research survey, one in ... Read More »
November 20, 2020 Dear Friends, Today, Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate. All Americans should be encouraged by this next step towards a safe and effective vaccine. The Pfizer/BioNTech candidate was deemed 95 percent effective based on clinical trial data in a 40,000+ person trial. Now that data, and more, will undergo analysis by FDA professionals and an independent panel of experts. FDA resources on vaccine development and the COVID-19 vaccine EUA process can help ans... Read More »
by Ripon Advance News Service U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) recently requested information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on specific U.S. laboratory capacity that would allow for preclinical animal model research to develop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the lawmakers requested that the CDC provide complete, updated information on domestic capacity at BioSafety Level (BSL)-3 and Animal BSL (ABSL)-3 laboratories. Those are among the four main biosafety levels — with BSL-4 posing the high... Read More »
by Dave Kovaleski Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are seeking information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on BioSafety Level (BSL)-3 and Animal BSL (ABSL)-3 laboratory capacity to conduct animal model research for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. There are four main biosafety levels for laboratory research on biological agents ranging from BSL-1 to BSL-4, with BSL-4 posing the highest risk to biosafety, Research on COVID-19 requires laboratories with BSL-3 or greater capabilities. However, no comprehensive data is available on ... Read More »
Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX) sent a letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. to ask the CDC for complete and updated information on domestic BioSafety Level (BSL)-3 and Animal BSL (ABSL)-3 laboratory capacity with the ability to conduct preclinical animal model research for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics development. Ra... Read More »
