SHOCK: Texas Medicaid prescribing women and children toxic mosquito repellent with DEET to 'protect' against Zika

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: Zika pesticides, Texas Medicaid, DEET chemicals

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(NaturalNews) Dependency on government has risen to a new level, in Texas at least, as Medicaid officials in the Lone Star State now want to provide taxpayer-supported Zika virus protection, as a 'healthcare need.'

Beginning next week, the Dallas Morning News reports, women and girls will be eligible to receive up to two cans of mosquito repellent as a way to protect themselves from the virus, which is transmitted by, among other methods, the tiny biting insets. According to the CDC, the virus has been linked to causing birth defects such as microcephaly.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission made the decision to permit the state's Medicaid agency to cover the cost of repellents for girls and women ages 10 to 45, as well as those who are already pregnant. The commission said growing fears that the virus will spread further throughout the state motivated officials to make the decision, apparently because they believe that Medicaid recipients are not capable of obtaining repellent on their own like all other Texans, or that they, because they're on public assistance, should not have to.

At present, state health officials have discovered and are tracking 93 cases of Zika virus, including 22 in Dallas County. Forty-two patients have been reported to the CDC's Zika Pregnancy Registry. But it's far from a crisis or a pandemic. Indeed, for most, the virus is weak and symptoms relatively mild.

Panic leading state to choose a dangerous repellent choice

What's more, much of the panic associated with the spread of the virus, as Natural News staffer Julie Wilson reported recently, has more to do with ulterior motives than anything else: Corporate vaccine profits, abortion increases, wider use of dangerous chemicals (via insect repellents containing DEET) and the introduction of genetically modified mosquitoes that may wind up harming humans.

But the panic is spreading nonetheless. Earlier this week the CDC issued a travel warning regarding a neighborhood in Miami where some 15 cases of the virus have been reported and "persistent mosquito problems" identified. Indeed, a federal emergency response team has now been dispatched to that region.

Miami Mayor Tomas Pedro Regalado has issued a warning to other cities to be prepared, but nevertheless called travel restrictions to the popular sunny vacation destination a "black eye" that might not have been necessary.

Regalado, apparently, gets it. This is a huge overreaction. When asked by a local news team what advice he would give to Dallas, he said "Start informing people, but do not create panic, and to not allow the CDC to issue a ban on travel to Dallas."

But still, Texas Medicaid is moving forward with its plan to bilk taxpayers for a "health problem" that is being hugely overstated. To qualify for free repellent, recipients of Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and other government benefits programs must call and visit their primary care provider for an actual prescription. So now, dangerous DEET-containing repellents have been judged to be on par, benefits-wise, with contraceptives, additional ultrasounds, diagnostic testing and other women's health priorities.

Is the state of Texas really doing women who qualify for this program a favor? As Natural News reported in 2009, DEET is a chemical with a history of causing health problems and damages brain cells.

Hey, Texas: There is a better, safer, and much more effective alternative to DEET

Previous research by Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia, who spent more than three decades studying the effects of pesticides, found that lengthy exposure to the chemical impairs the functioning parts of the brain and may even contribute to problems with muscle coordination, walking and memory.

In reality, there is a better option for the state of Texas and its female Medicaid recipients seeking protection from the Zika virus - an all-natural eucalyptus-containing alternative that is just as effective, as a previous major study has proven.

If Texas Medicaid officials really were concerned for the well-being of their charges, they would seek out a better substitute for DEET that isn't going to wind up causing brain damage – and thus require more taxpayer-funded care.

Sources for this story include:

DallasNews.com

CDC.gov

NaturalNews.com