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DENVER, CO– The House Health and Insurance Committee today defeated dangerous legislation sponsored by Representative Stephanie Luck that recklessly promotes the use of drugs like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19.
“The end of this pandemic is closer than ever, but we’ll never reach the light at the end of the tunnel if we ignore science and instead insert politics into medical decision making,” said Dr. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton. “Getting shots into arms and continuing to take common sense public health precautions like wearing a mask will end the pandemic. Taking hydroxychloroquine against the advice of the FDA and instead as modeled by politicians with no medical experience, like a former president whose response to this crisis was an unmitigated disaster, will only result in greater contagion and potentially dangerous side effects.”
“We have one pathway to ending this pandemic, and that’s getting as many shots into arms as we can,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Boulder. “Colorado has relied on science and data to successfully reduce the spread of the virus and save lives, and we’ve done significantly better than many other states. We’re seeing people avoid the treatments and vaccines that we know work because Trump and other top officials in his administration led them down an unproven path. As a veterinarian, I’m concerned that this bill encourages the use of a deworming treatment primarily used in horses as a cure for COVID-19. We can’t have patients playing doctor and ignoring the scientific data.”
HB21-1202 promotes the dangerous practice of prescribing hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin off-label for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. The World Health Organization has warned against using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, and the FDA has been vocal about the dangers of using ivermectin, especially veterinary ivermectin. The use of these drugs can cause adverse effects in patients, and they have been proven to be ineffective in treating COVID-19.
The vaccines the FDA has approved for emergency use have been proven highly effective at preventing COVID-19. New research shows they are likely to be effective at stopping the spread of the virus, as well. All Coloradans will be eligible for the vaccine this Friday, April 2. For more information about where you can get vaccinated visit here: https://bit.ly/39yFt0d