The Failure to Deal With the Flu (Another * Admin Screwup)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-davis8oct08,1,6523011,print.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

Over the last three years, the United States government has spent several billion dollars preparing for a biological attack by terrorists. Yet it now seems likely that starting in the next couple of weeks, tens of millions of Americans will be defenseless and thousands will die because we have botched preparations for a natural biological attack everyone knew was coming: the flu.

This week, British health authorities halted production at a Liverpool factory operated by California's Chiron Corp. that supplies half of the flu vaccine for the U.S., about 48 million doses.

U.S. officials claim to have been surprised at the shutdown despite widely publicized problems at the plant, which in August caused the contamination of more than a million doses of vaccine.

Americans are right to fear that a system that cannot properly prepare for a regular flu season would be easily overwhelmed in the event of a pandemic. Our government authorities put Americans at risk by stubbornly and stupidly depending on just two facilities, one located outside the U.S. and far removed from federal regulators, to provide all of our flu vaccine.

Meanwhile, Britain had at least the minimal foresight to spread its vaccine purchases among several suppliers.

[indepat]

1. I feel so secure knowing how this Administration keeps us safe

[fortyfeetunder]

2. We are screwed

Makes me wonder if this is *'s perverse way of population control. One good pandemic = millions of deaths.