A&M Board of Regents expected to approve building Pandemic Influenza Facility Project

[TexasTowelie]

The Texas A&M Board of Regents is scheduled to approve the construction of its Pandemic Influenza Facility Project, a move that will authorize system officials to seek an architect and construction company for the project.

A system official said the $285.6 million project is on track to be fully operational in 2015. The regents' vote at their Thursday meeting will be largely procedural.

The system announced in 2012 that it was one of three entities to receive the lucrative contract from the federal government. The facility will be located on 147 acres in the Biocorridor and will work to enhance the nation's ability to counter biological and pandemic threats with vaccines and medicines manufactured in the U.S.

The majority of the project's price tag, $176 million, will be paid for by the federal government, and system officials expect it to bring $1.3 million of economic activity to the region within five years.

More at http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/article_78c4b796-51f7-5108-9ad0-759539c87041.html .

[font color=maroon]
While I'm glad that we are investing money for national security, keep in mind that this is happening in a conservative area of the state. Will we hear any complaints from the local conservatives (or former Aggie yell-leader Rick Perry) about the big bad federal government spending money? "It's Obama's fault" after all!


The article also mentions a few other motions that the regents will consider in their meeting including the authorization of a new contract for the football coach. It isn't right to pay Kevin Sumlin a pittance of Mack Brown's salary.
[/font]

[DhhD]

1. It is my understanding that the Bird Flu virus is mutating and will eventually

be able to not only infect the windpipe of birds but will have the correct proteins to infect the cells of the human windpipe very easily. Then it can be passed person to person through the air. It is a horrible disease.

I am hoping that the new facility will be able to make an immunization shot or mist in about a two week period of time. And getting the shot out quickly will save many.

Until the completion, I hope that the current flu immunizations contain a few of the bird flu genes so maybe some resistance can start to take place early in the human population getting the annual flu shots/mists.