At the request of Republican members from the southeast region of Pennsylvania, $10 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been approved by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to go to entities across the state working on research and development of a coronavirus vaccine, such as Wistar Institute in Philadelphia.
Members of the delegation, including Reps. Marcy Toepel (R-Gilbertsville), Stephen Barrar (R-Chadds Ford), Frank Farry (R-Langhorne), Tim Hennessey (R-Pottstown), John Lawrence (R-West Grove), Tom Murt (R-Hatboro), Todd Polinchock (R-Chalfont), Chris Quinn (R-Middletown), Meghan Schroder (R-Warminster), Craig Staats (R-Quakertown), Todd Stephens (R-North Wales), Wendi Thomas (R-Richboro), K.C. Tomlinson (R-Bensalem) and Martina White (R-Philadelphia), issued the following statement:
“One of the most essential steps in the process of battling COVID-19 is the development of a vaccine. Here in Philadelphia, Wistar is a world leader in biomedical research in both immunology and infectious disease and is already in phase one of its DNA vaccine trials to combat the virus. They are working closely on this project with the Pennsylvania-based pharmaceutical company Inovio, located in Plymouth Meeting.
“Pennsylvania has a long and proud history of being home to some of the most highly regarded medical research hospitals and institutions. This funding will provide the financial support needed for Wistar to continue its research and hopefully discover a safe and effective vaccine quickly that will help millions of people around the globe.
“We were happy to advocate for this funding and look forward to learning more about the advancements in developing a coronavirus vaccine.”
