Administration mobilizes to prepare U.S. for possible pandemic

[highplainsdem]

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12914692.htm


Posted on Sun, Oct. 16, 2005

Administration mobilizes to prepare U.S. for possible pandemic

By Jonathan S. Landay
Knight Ridder Newspapers


<snip>

The plan acknowledges that state and local officials would have to manage much of the response, such as ensuring food supplies, he said. Other aspects would take time and an estimated $6 billion to $10 billion to implement.

<snip>

A number of other countries are ahead of the United States in preparedness. Britain finalized its plan in March, has created a Cabinet-level coordinating office, ordered enough Tamiflu for 25 percent of its population and put in place a system for rapidly producing and distributing a vaccine once one is developed.

<snip>

Experts say immediate preparations also must be taken to bolster hospitals' abilities to cope with massive numbers of patients suffering respiratory problems and other life-threatening symptoms. Many parts of the United States have serious shortages of doctors, nurses and equipment; many are stretched thin even by annual bouts of ordinary influenza.

<snip>

An additional complication: Seeking hospital care would be a double-edged option, as they would be the places where it would be easiest to contract influenza. So public-education programs will be needed to ensure that only the very sickest are brought to hospitals, experts said.

<snip>

Lengthy article, which makes clear how much planning and preparation have to be done...and how little has been done.

I'm trying to imagine state and local officials being able to cope successfully with "ensuring food supplies" when so much food is shipped across the country. And since that's so impractical, I wonder how much else is included where the federal plan "acknowledges that state and local officials would have to manage much of the response."

We have to hope there won't be a pandemic. Right now it seems as if the government's response to a flu pandemic within the next year or two (we won't be able to buy enough Tamiflu for even 25% of the population until the end of 2007) will make the initial FEMA response to Katrina look good by comparison.

[goclark]

1. We are way behind the rest of the world in everything!

George has got to go!

Even his own party must realize that he is a danger to himself and others.

[OKthatsIT]

12. BUT THIS IS TOTALLY EXAGERATED

The CDC cannot tell THE PEOPLE the TRUTH. They cannot speak unless CHERTOFF APPROVES.

[tatertop]

2. 1.overturn posse comitatus 2.build 'relocation centers'.... Done!

[OKthatsIT]

13. 1st FORCE CDC TO LIE to the people, THEN

they get the CORRUPT HOUSE to bring in the military, channging Posse Comitatus.

[Cha]

3. If the health of the USA depended

on this deadly keystone cops regime..then we are Doomed.

Hopefully, Intelligent heads will prevail.

[pinto]

4. Unfortunate choice of phrasing from this KR headline editor.

The basis of the story seems to be preparedness...not "mobilization". We are not under attack. Knight-Ridder is usually better than this.

[NYC]

5. That's what comes of not having public health.

Easier to serve the public when there is a public health program. Instead we have private health care, private insurance, and many people without any kind of health care, including children.

Shows you what the country thinks of its citizens.

[confludemocrat]

6. Isn't this whole avian flu thing overblown? China, SE Asia, Indian subcon-

tinent have been exposed to this for more than a year, that's what, 3 billion people? And even with those densely peopled demographics, only 60 deaths. I mean come on. Now that white people and/or rich countries face an evidently small but easily overhyped hazard, we are supposed to buy into this threat and make it OH MY GOD, IT'S A BIG DEAL!

[sarcasmo]

9. One word, TERRA, run for your lives TERRA.

[anotherdrew]

7. why plan to lessen the impact of gods punishment for our wicked ways?

that would be a sin
:sarcasm:
no one could think to plan for something like this anyway. anyway, pandemics come and go as part of a natural cycle see...

[Miss Chybil]

8. I'm getting a wag the dog vibe here. Tell me I'm wrong.

I just don't believe anything these people say, anymore. Nothing.

[zippy890]

10. the scariest thing about any flu pandemic

is that our federal government cannot be trusted to do anything that's it is supposed to do in the correct way.

brace for major mistakes/bungling/mishandling/misinformation/ lack of proper procedures etc.

If only we had a federal government that took its role seriously and responsibly.

What may not ordinarily be a cause for concern becomes one with rampant ineptitude by the bush admin and the dismantling of the federal government's domestic agencies' infrastructure.

[leesa]

11. Keep the fearmongering going...maybe we won't notice that you're all

criminals about to be indicted.

[hedgehog]

14. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.

The pandemic is coming, it's a matter of when, not if. It may or may not be a variation of the bird flu that is currently under such intense scrutiny. I can remember back when all the experts were convinced that swine flu wa it and urged everyone to get their shots. I didn't then, but I have every year faithfully since I saw how sick my I was with the flu one year and then saw how sick it made my kids several years later. I'm not talking about vomiting, I'm talking about weeks and weeks of exhaustion. Influenza is serious stuff.

The problem is that Bushco is making a lot of noise but not taking a bit of serious action. Think about it. A pandemic will be over only when everyone is exposed or vaccinated. If I understand correctly, we're all somewhat immune to the 1918 virus because we've been exposed to varients all our lives. Once a killer virus is identifies, it takes 6 months to get a vaccine to the public, so we're kind of stuck until then. If Bush was serious about dealing with the pandemic, we'd be testing Tamiflu and other antivirals and building plants to make up enough doses of whatever works for everyone. Instead we're talking about using troops to blockade highways.

[NVMojo]

15. too bad we can't get the toxic bushco virus out of the white house first .

[ngGale]

16. This administration's only prepreration....

more military and bye, bye, Posse Comitatus...:nuke: