Over a 16-month span, Puerto Rico confirmed over 35,400 cases of Zika virus—about 85% of all cases reported in the U.S. and its territories during that time. The paper argues that social and structural problems—like poverty, limited sex education, stigma around sexual health, lack of contraception access, and insufficient community involvement—have made the public health response weaker than it should be. It insists that handling an epidemic isn’t just about controlling mosquitoes (the vector), but also addressing the social justice issues that impact prevention, treatment, and how resources are distributed.