MEDICAL NEWS ARTICLE: 9/11 flu warning

[Guest guest]

http://news.bmn.com/news/story?day=021023 & story=1

9/11 flu warning

22 October 2002 8:14 GMT

by Clayton

[caption and credit]

Malta - The chaos that surrounded the anthrax outbreak following the events

of September 11 last year was minor compared with what could happen when a

major flu pandemic occurs, says epidemiologist Kathleen Gensheimer. Taking

note, US authorities are applying lessons learned from 9/11 to prepare for

the potentially catastrophic consequences of the next flu pandemic.

Gensheimer, state epidemiologist at the main department of human services in

Augusta, Maine, and member of the US National Influenza Pandemic Steering

Committee, today reported a billion dollar injection of cash across the US

to deal with public health issues. Public health is enjoying a renaissance

in the States, Gensheimer told delegates at the First European Influenza

Conference here, and is giving the real threat of a flu pandemic the

attention it deserves.

" The worst bioterrorist may be nature itself, " she told a symposium on

Pandemic Planning and Preparedness. " We always have to be prepared for the

unexpected. "

Gensheimer emphasized that, in contrast to the uncertainty over whether or

not bioterrorists may strike again, a major flu pandemic is a certainty -

the only question is when.

The prospect of a bioengineered version of influenza as a new bioterrorist

weapon was more debatable, she said, than the likelihood of a natural

catastrophic influenza outbreak.

The worst pandemic last century was the " Spanish flu, " which killed more

than 50 million people around the world between 1917 and 1919. Then came the

1957 and 1968 epidemics, which between them accounted for another 40 million

deaths. With a periodic repeat pattern of approximately 30 years,

researchers predict that we are now due for another pandemic.

Influenza pandemics and bioterrorist attacks have much in common when it

comes to the action required for protecting people against infection, and

preventing deaths in those that become infected. But last year, many of

these elements were missing, or inadequate, when anthrax was sent through

the US postal system, killing five people, says Gensheimer.

She summarized the situation as " miscalculation, missteps, and

misunderstanding. " She highlighted, in particular, the absence of a central

command control to decide how to assess and deal with the anthrax outbreak,

as well as the lack of communication between different agencies involved. As

a result, there was too much uncertainty over who was at risk, and therefore

who should receive prophylactic antibiotics, as well as ignorance about the

necessary duration of treatment. A decision to investigate vaccine

availability was only made at a very late stage, she notes.

Many new developments are now taking place in the US as a result of the

analysis of what went wrong last year. One is an increase in surge capacity

at public health laboratories, so as to cope with a potentially massive rise

in specimens. In addition, there are efforts to develop year-round detection

and tracking of novel viral variants as they emerge during normal winter flu

epidemics.

The authorities are also " trying hard " to expand vaccination coverage, on

the grounds that, with a sufficiently large infrastructure in place, it will

be easier to meet demand in the event of a pandemic.

Delegates at the symposium also heard that northern neighbor Ontario,

Canada, is already leading the way, with regard to vaccination coverage.

Ontario has the world's most advanced universal vaccination program, which

offers free flu jabs to all 11 million inhabitants. The latest figure shows

that around 44% of the population accepted the offer during the 2001/2002

season, according to Monali Varia, epidemiologist and program coordinator

for the Universal Influenza Immunization Program, Ontario Ministry of Health

and Long-Term Care.

[Guest guest]

http://news.bmn.com/news/story?day=021023 & story=1

9/11 flu warning

22 October 2002 8:14 GMT

by Clayton

[caption and credit]

Malta - The chaos that surrounded the anthrax outbreak following the events

of September 11 last year was minor compared with what could happen when a

major flu pandemic occurs, says epidemiologist Kathleen Gensheimer. Taking

note, US authorities are applying lessons learned from 9/11 to prepare for

the potentially catastrophic consequences of the next flu pandemic.

Gensheimer, state epidemiologist at the main department of human services in

Augusta, Maine, and member of the US National Influenza Pandemic Steering

Committee, today reported a billion dollar injection of cash across the US

to deal with public health issues. Public health is enjoying a renaissance

in the States, Gensheimer told delegates at the First European Influenza

Conference here, and is giving the real threat of a flu pandemic the

attention it deserves.

" The worst bioterrorist may be nature itself, " she told a symposium on

Pandemic Planning and Preparedness. " We always have to be prepared for the

unexpected. "

Gensheimer emphasized that, in contrast to the uncertainty over whether or

not bioterrorists may strike again, a major flu pandemic is a certainty -

the only question is when.

The prospect of a bioengineered version of influenza as a new bioterrorist

weapon was more debatable, she said, than the likelihood of a natural

catastrophic influenza outbreak.

The worst pandemic last century was the " Spanish flu, " which killed more

than 50 million people around the world between 1917 and 1919. Then came the

1957 and 1968 epidemics, which between them accounted for another 40 million

deaths. With a periodic repeat pattern of approximately 30 years,

researchers predict that we are now due for another pandemic.

Influenza pandemics and bioterrorist attacks have much in common when it

comes to the action required for protecting people against infection, and

preventing deaths in those that become infected. But last year, many of

these elements were missing, or inadequate, when anthrax was sent through

the US postal system, killing five people, says Gensheimer.

She summarized the situation as " miscalculation, missteps, and

misunderstanding. " She highlighted, in particular, the absence of a central

command control to decide how to assess and deal with the anthrax outbreak,

as well as the lack of communication between different agencies involved. As

a result, there was too much uncertainty over who was at risk, and therefore

who should receive prophylactic antibiotics, as well as ignorance about the

necessary duration of treatment. A decision to investigate vaccine

availability was only made at a very late stage, she notes.

Many new developments are now taking place in the US as a result of the

analysis of what went wrong last year. One is an increase in surge capacity

at public health laboratories, so as to cope with a potentially massive rise

in specimens. In addition, there are efforts to develop year-round detection

and tracking of novel viral variants as they emerge during normal winter flu

epidemics.

The authorities are also " trying hard " to expand vaccination coverage, on

the grounds that, with a sufficiently large infrastructure in place, it will

be easier to meet demand in the event of a pandemic.

Delegates at the symposium also heard that northern neighbor Ontario,

Canada, is already leading the way, with regard to vaccination coverage.

Ontario has the world's most advanced universal vaccination program, which

offers free flu jabs to all 11 million inhabitants. The latest figure shows

that around 44% of the population accepted the offer during the 2001/2002

season, according to Monali Varia, epidemiologist and program coordinator

for the Universal Influenza Immunization Program, Ontario Ministry of Health

and Long-Term Care.