Across the US, Episcopalians are gearing up for summer activities
like VBS, mission trips and summer camp. But this summer, with concerns
about the Zika virus moving north into the continental US, new
questions are popping up. Responding to these concerns, Episcopal
Relief & Development assembled a taskforce of experts in public
health and safety, disaster response, church programs and
communications to sort through the information floating around about
the Zika virus, and to create a resource that would help Episcopal
churches in the United States to respond appropriately.
Click here for a copy of Episcopal Relief & Development's Zika Fact Sheet.
The overall message is that while Zika is a concern for women who
are pregnant or could become pregnant, most people who are infected
with Zika do not become sick, and there is a low chance that there would
be an epidemic in the continental United States. As long as normal
mosquito bite prevention is practiced (protecting skin with clothing or
repellent, using window screens or mosquito nets), there is no reason
to cancel summer camp or mission trip plans - unless you are part of a
couple that is currently pregnant or planning to be.
