CDC Strategy - "buying time"

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 U.S. not ready for bird flu, experts say

By Donald G. McNeil Jr. The New York Times

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006

WASHINGTON The 5,000 state and local health 

departments in the United States are rushing to plan for an epidemic of 

avian flu, but they say they are hobbled by a lack of money and guidance 

from the federal government.

�

Only a few places, particularly Seattle and New York City, have made 

significant progress, experts say. Most departments say they expect to be 

unprepared for at least a year.

�

"It's a depressing situation," said Jeffrey Levi, a flu expert at the Trust for 

America's Health, a nonpartisan health policy group. "We are way, way 

behind."

�

Under the national response plan issued by the Bush administration on 

Nov. 2, the national government took primary responsibility for creating 

stockpiles of vaccines and anti-viral drugs. But the states and local 

governments were left to be responsible for quarantines, delivering 

vaccinations and assuring that the sick receive medical care.

�

Of the $7.1 billion President George W. Bush requested for fighting avian 

flu, Congress provided only $3.3 billion for this year. Bush was expected 

Monday to ask for an additional $2.65 billion for 2007. The bulk is for 

vaccine and drug research, while only $350 million is for local health 

departments.

�

"That $350 million sounds like a lot, but divided among 5,000 health 

departments, it's only $70,000 each," said Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, chief of 

communicable diseases for the Seattle and King County health 

department.

�

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention, acknowledged at a conference of avian flu experts in 

Washington last week that the nation's strategy was one of "buying time" 

until millions of doses of vaccines and anti-viral drugs could be 

produced.

�

"If we prepare now," Gerberding said, "we may be able to decrease the 

death rate and keep society functioning."

�

Dr. Harvey Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine, the medical 

arm of the National Academy of Sciences, was more pessimistic.

�

"We're completely unprepared," Fineberg said, adding that if an epidemic 

struck in the next year, a quarantine-based strategy "is likely to be all 

we're going to have as a strategy."

�

Bird flu human infection is still rare, but it has killed about half of the 161 

people known to have been infected, and officials fear it will mutate into a 

form that spreads easily among people.

�

Even if a vaccine were available, few communities would be prepared to 

dispense it quickly - a problem emphatically demonstrated by two years 

of failure to provide routine flu shots to millions of Americans.

�

http://

www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/06/news/flu.php

Edited by Rick

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Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: CDC Strategy - "buying time" Posted: February 06 2006 at 6:57am
	U.S. not ready for bird flu, experts say By Donald G. McNeil Jr. The New York Times MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 WASHINGTON The 5,000 state and local health departments in the United States are rushing to plan for an epidemic of avian flu, but they say they are hobbled by a lack of money and guidance from the federal government. � Only a few places, particularly Seattle and New York City, have made significant progress, experts say. Most departments say they expect to be unprepared for at least a year. � "It's a depressing situation," said Jeffrey Levi, a flu expert at the Trust for America's Health, a nonpartisan health policy group. "We are way, way behind." � Under the national response plan issued by the Bush administration on Nov. 2, the national government took primary responsibility for creating stockpiles of vaccines and anti-viral drugs. But the states and local governments were left to be responsible for quarantines, delivering vaccinations and assuring that the sick receive medical care. � Of the $7.1 billion President George W. Bush requested for fighting avian flu, Congress provided only $3.3 billion for this year. Bush was expected Monday to ask for an additional $2.65 billion for 2007. The bulk is for vaccine and drug research, while only $350 million is for local health departments. � "That $350 million sounds like a lot, but divided among 5,000 health departments, it's only $70,000 each," said Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, chief of communicable diseases for the Seattle and King County health department. � Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acknowledged at a conference of avian flu experts in Washington last week that the nation's strategy was one of "buying time" until millions of doses of vaccines and anti-viral drugs could be produced. � "If we prepare now," Gerberding said, "we may be able to decrease the death rate and keep society functioning." � Dr. Harvey Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine, the medical arm of the National Academy of Sciences, was more pessimistic. � "We're completely unprepared," Fineberg said, adding that if an epidemic struck in the next year, a quarantine-based strategy "is likely to be all we're going to have as a strategy." � Bird flu human infection is still rare, but it has killed about half of the 161 people known to have been infected, and officials fear it will mutate into a form that spreads easily among people. � Even if a vaccine were available, few communities would be prepared to dispense it quickly - a problem emphatically demonstrated by two years of failure to provide routine flu shots to millions of Americans. � http:// www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/06/news/flu.php Edited by Rick