Reply #28: A "quarantine" plan already exists... [View All]

[triguy46]

as part and parcel of a public health response to small pox. You start by isolating the infected area, and then with ever increasing circles limit access in and out. Since 9-11 we've allowed exremely low probability occurrences to dominate all discussions. I haven't been to a single community emergency planning session wheere someone doesn't bring smallpox up. Yet there is no evidence, none, that it is a risk. The problem isn't in the discussion, but in the drain of resources from other higher probability matters, such as FEMA and NOLA. If 70% of FEMA's budget has been diverted to 'terrorism', a low proabaility event, then there are fewer resources for a high probability event like a hurricane.

But, IMHO, it is even larger. Because of the fear factor, the feds can divert billions into stockpiles of meds and vaccines, but kids/elderly/poor/mentally ill have inadequate to no access to primary health care. This is an issue of national priority. Do we spend all our money on preparing for the low chance "big one", people suffer disease and higher illness rates because we can't take care of their personal 'smaller' issues.

I think the failure of the feds to institute a smallpox vaccination campaign that worked indicates the skepticism by which the medical community holds the fear mongering. In our county of 100,000 we had 3 health care workers, (no docs), volunteer to be vaccinated.

Sorry, but bird flu hysteria is just that.