Bush Signs Bill to Stockpile Antidotes

[54anickel]

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/health/news-article.aspx?storyid=21733

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush on Wednesday signed legislation to develop and stockpile vaccines and other antidotes to chemical and germ attacks, saying the measure will "rally the great promise of American science and innovation to confront the greatest danger of our time."

The legislation, called Project BioShield, provides the drug industry with incentives to research and develop bioterrorism countermeasures. It speeds up the approval process of antidotes and, in an emergency, allows the government to distribute certain treatments before the Food and Drug Administration has approved them.

"We know that the terrorists seek an even deadlier technology, and if they acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons we have no doubt they will use them to cause even greater harm," Bush said in the Rose Garden. He said the legislation sends a message about America's direction in the war on terror - that the United States refuses to stand idle "when modern technology might be turned against us."

U.S. officials are hoping that Project BioShield will yield enough new-generation anthrax vaccine to dose 25 million people. Federal health officials also hope that the $5.6 billion program will provide antidotes for botulism and anthrax, a safer smallpox vaccine and a long-awaited children's version of an anti-radiation pill.

more...

Is it just me, or has this mal-administration turned our security and well-being into one huge friggen cash-cow? There's this wonderful bill, the somewhat questionable gov't study that lowers cholesterol targets and puts millions more on statins, and this whole war for profit crap-o-la. I hate how cynical I have become these days. :grr:

[NC_Nurse]

1. It's not just you...

:mad:

[Not Me]

2. When I first heard this, I thought, "Geez, it's about time"

It's been two years since the anthrax scares and nothing has been done to prep for what could be a larger scale attack.

But then, as you, I realized it was only a way to funnel some $$$ into pharma hands. I will wait and see if they really come through and do anything.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. This is a continuation of the frenzy of post 9/11

This will be destined to the shit heep in years to come, just like the mouldy sunshine crackers hidden away in the Civil Defense bomb shelters
built to protect us from "them" or "the bad guys" or the "commies" or whoever it was then. iwiwiwiwwi

[riverwalker]

4. childrens anti-radiation pill?

Now these slimeballs will think giving our kids a pill will protect from nuclear fallout, so they will go ahead and plan a first strike scenario. I used to think no one can be that stupid, but after 3 years of these people nothing amazes me anymore. Project Bio-Shield??? More like chemical duct tape for the stupid.

[Snoggera]

5. Anything for the drug companies

By this time next year, many of us will be drugged up on who knows what after our mandatory mental examinations.

edit: or would be if the chimp was to be re-selected.

[w13rd0]

6. More people die...

...in one month of the pollution and toxins spewed out by companies very friendly with the Administration than have EVER died due to a chemical or biological attack.

So when will someone address the REAL threats to our lives and liberty?

[lovuian]

7. I wonder if Bush is gearing up for a Bioterror War

could be Anthrax....

I bet people would pay if they knew they had a chance to get Anthrax

and we never got that Anthrax killer

[alittlelark]

12. uh, yeah.........

* never did get that Anthrax killer - who was using a strain made only in the US.

If there is a bio-terror war the Neo-con's will be initiating it.

[hughee99]

8. I'm sorry, but I can't get worked up over this one...

Which is a bigger issue, the drug industry getting rich, or a bio-attack where there was no antidote available? The drug industry is going to get rich anyway, and if we have a bio-attack, we'll just have to buy the same drugs then (probably at 10 times the price because they're in "short supply").

[54anickel]

9. That's OK, not meant to get anyone worked up. But let's face it, there

have been many threads on this issue here at DU in the past and a bio-attack just would not have that large of an impact. Sure, it would be horrible and if I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time I would want to be able to get treatment. This just seems to go way over-board with funding for what the actual threat is as compared to other more vulnerable points of attack (ports, nuclear power plants, etc) are neglected.

[hughee99]

10. It's sort of

a no-win situation for any president. Kerry will face the same sort of issues come January. Either you can channel your money to one area or another. If you guess wrong, and since a potential terrorist can see what is being planned for and what is not, chances are you may, you'll end up looking unprepared. Let * do this now, which is more of a one-time thing, and Kerry should be able to devote more attention to ports, nuclear power, and other things that would be more of an ongoing effort. I'm sure * is doing it to make sure his pharma-buddies get paid off before he loses, but I don't think the end result will necessarily be a very bad thing.

[no_hypocrisy]

11. Will the antidotes be available to non-neocons?