Once Again Are We Prepared?

Teri Mills is a longtime Democracy For America community member. Her guest column on health care appears on Blog for America on Fridays and she blogs at http://www.nationalnurse.info/.

As the avian flu makes its way through ten countries, infecting more than 100 people in its path, federal and state governments are examining if the United States is ready to handle a pandemic of this nature. The Center for Disease Control reports the avian flu can cause a lethal form of pneumonia as well as acute respiratory distress. World experts claim this flu is not only deadly, it responds poorly to most drugs, and could spread throughout the world with lightening speed.

Last week members of the administration met with pharmaceutical executives whose responsibility will be to produce an effective avian flu vaccine and anti-viral meds to treat symptoms. The Senate's response was to approve four billion dollars to stockpile medications. Not surprisingly, these contracts were outsourced to overseas companies because they may be the best equipped to respond in a relatively short period of time. The top candidate to receive federal U.S. dollars is Roche, the Swiss maker of Tamiflu. Tamiflu is an anti-viral drug that must be taken during the first 48 hours from the onset of flu symptoms in order to have a positive outcome. Other European companies likely to receive a chunk of money are Glaxo Smith Kline, based in Britain, and Sanofi-Aventis, a French based drug giant tasked with the assignment of producing massive doses of avian flu vaccine.

Faced with an Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Stewart Simonson, who has no public health management experience, state officials are challenged to make sure their own communities are prepared to deal with an avian flu epidemic. New Hampshire state epidemiologist, Jose Montero says, "Don't expect that you're going to get reinforcements from somewhere else. Don't count on outside support."

The President has his own ideas and says he wants Congress to let him use soldiers to enforce quarantines should the flu enter the United States. This may be because the HHS does not have enough manpower to handle a crisis as large as the avian flu. Montero in fact says his own department only has eight nurses and that communities will have to work together if the flu comes to town.

Members of the National Nursing Network Organization have a better suggestion than opening your door to an armed soldier from the National Guard. Their proposal includes building an infrastructure of nurses to manage these types of emergencies. Nurses in every community will be given an opportunity to sign up to volunteer on a National Nurse Team. These teams will not only participate in four nationwide health promotion educational activities each year, but they will also ensure we as a nation are prepared when disaster strikes. If you are sick and not feeling well, who do you want on your front doorstep?

—Teri Mills, RN, MS, ANP Democracy for Oregon

Cross-posted at Blog for America