Janet
10-23-2005, 10:28 AM
October 19, 2005
The Excuses Begin to Fly
Bush and Avian Flu
By STEPHEN SOLDZ
No one knows if or when an avian flu pandemic will hit the world. But we do know that this is a serious possibility, and that the consequences could be catastrophic: tens to hundreds of millions dead worldwide; millions dead in the US; economic damage that could lead to another major depression as workers die and others cease working out of fear and the need to take care of ill family members. Perhaps starvation would set in as the economy slowed and transportation ceased for large infected area.
Given these possibilities, one would think that any government would make preventing and preparing for this potential catastrophe a major priority. It's therefore nice to see that, for the Bush administration, avian flu is a priority. However, the priority isn't preparing for it but preparing to spin the government's failure to prepare.
Take this new article on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt's trip to Asia, the origin of this disease [Official: Preventing Pandemic Impossible]. Secretary Leavitt of the "see no obstacles" Bush administration proclaims defeat in advance.
"Can we create a network of surveillance sufficient enough to find the spark when it happens, to get there fast enough?" he said. "The chances of that happening are not good."
But will the US do all it can to prevent the spread of the disease? A no-brainer would be for the US and other wealthy nations to set up a fund to reimburse livestock breeders whose birds become infected. Since breeders sometime hide ill birds because of fears of economic devastation if they are detected and the rest of the breeder's stock is culled, common sense would indicate that the world has an interest in making sure that this compensation is more than adequate. So is the US moving full steam ahead to create such a fund? The Secretary made it clear the US intended to do little:
"He said the U.S. government was considering ways to help offset the economic loss to Asian farmers forced to slaughter infected flocks, but help would be limited. Without subsidies, poor farmers resist killing their sickened livestock."
While prevention is the best hope for the world, once a pandemic starts, public health strategies for coping are three-pronged: vaccination; use antiviral drugs; and quarantine. None of these approaches is a panacea, of course, and there are questions as to the degree of effectiveness of vaccination and antiviral drugs. There are also open questions regarding the best strategy to deal with flu epidemics.
continued here..........
http://www.counterpunch.org/soldz10192005.html
Why do I have the feeling that this country is going to hell in a handbasket?!
Janet
:angry:
The Excuses Begin to Fly
Bush and Avian Flu
By STEPHEN SOLDZ
No one knows if or when an avian flu pandemic will hit the world. But we do know that this is a serious possibility, and that the consequences could be catastrophic: tens to hundreds of millions dead worldwide; millions dead in the US; economic damage that could lead to another major depression as workers die and others cease working out of fear and the need to take care of ill family members. Perhaps starvation would set in as the economy slowed and transportation ceased for large infected area.
Given these possibilities, one would think that any government would make preventing and preparing for this potential catastrophe a major priority. It's therefore nice to see that, for the Bush administration, avian flu is a priority. However, the priority isn't preparing for it but preparing to spin the government's failure to prepare.
Take this new article on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt's trip to Asia, the origin of this disease [Official: Preventing Pandemic Impossible]. Secretary Leavitt of the "see no obstacles" Bush administration proclaims defeat in advance.
"Can we create a network of surveillance sufficient enough to find the spark when it happens, to get there fast enough?" he said. "The chances of that happening are not good."
But will the US do all it can to prevent the spread of the disease? A no-brainer would be for the US and other wealthy nations to set up a fund to reimburse livestock breeders whose birds become infected. Since breeders sometime hide ill birds because of fears of economic devastation if they are detected and the rest of the breeder's stock is culled, common sense would indicate that the world has an interest in making sure that this compensation is more than adequate. So is the US moving full steam ahead to create such a fund? The Secretary made it clear the US intended to do little:
"He said the U.S. government was considering ways to help offset the economic loss to Asian farmers forced to slaughter infected flocks, but help would be limited. Without subsidies, poor farmers resist killing their sickened livestock."
While prevention is the best hope for the world, once a pandemic starts, public health strategies for coping are three-pronged: vaccination; use antiviral drugs; and quarantine. None of these approaches is a panacea, of course, and there are questions as to the degree of effectiveness of vaccination and antiviral drugs. There are also open questions regarding the best strategy to deal with flu epidemics.
continued here..........
http://www.counterpunch.org/soldz10192005.html
Why do I have the feeling that this country is going to hell in a handbasket?!
Janet
:angry: