Chelsea Clinton praises Sanders for Zika op-ed

Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton on Saturday praised Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for his op-ed pressuring President Trump to stop the Army from giving a French company an exclusive license to a Zika virus vaccine.

{mosads} Thank you Sen. Sanders – we need to ensure equitable access to the Zika vaccine & all vaccines,” Clinton tweeted alongside his op-ed. 

Thank you @SenSanders – we need to ensure equitable access to the #Zika vaccine & all vaccines https://t.co/mrJzGTrpVQ

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) March 11, 2017

Sanders criticized French pharmaceutical company Sanofi in the op-ed, noting the firm has already gotten $43 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a vaccine with the Army and is expected to receive $130 million more in federal funding.

{mosads}“If Mr. Trump allows this deal, Sanofi will be able to charge whatever astronomical price it wants for its vaccine,” Sanders wrote in his New York Times op-ed.

Sanders has been an outspoken critic of pharmaceutical companies’ pricing.

Clinton’s mother Hillary Clinton faced off with Sanders in a fierce battle in last year’s Democratic presidential primary.

Clinton was considered a huge favorite, but Sanders surged in polls in late 2015 and won 23 states, nearly defeating Clinton before eventually conceding the nomination, endorsing her and campaigning for her in the general election.

Clinton lost the general election to Trump in a shocking upset, despite garnering nearly 3 million more votes than Trump overall.