Sag Harbor, NY – Assemblyman Schiavoni fully supports NYS Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James V. McDonald’s recent announcement that the Department would begin tracking cases of Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS). This development follows the passage of Schiavoni’s legislation, A.11328/S.10340 in May of this year. Schiavoni’s legislation would have required the DOH Commissioner to establish AGS as a reportable disease, thereby requiring health care providers to report cases to the DOH. The legislation proposed also required incidences of AGS to have been published within the publicly available reports on communicable diseases

“I am encouraged to hear that the NYS Department of Health will start reporting cases of Alpha-gal Syndrome,” said Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni. “As cases of Alpha-gal have risen across the nation in recent years, this is a critical development which will provide much-needed insight for researchers and decision makers across the State and region. I am grateful to my colleagues in the NYS Legislature for supporting my legislation which has led to this heartening news.”

“East End residents and leaders have been sounding the alarm on tick-borne illnesses for years. While the DOH Commissioner says, ‘the ticks are winning,’ and while reporting will provide much-needed research, it is time for decisive action to combat this epidemic of diseases which have, in some cases, permanently altered or ended lives. I am happy to see that DOH has taken the opportunity in response heavy news coverage in recent months to follow recommendations stemming from my legislation which I introduced earlier this year.”