American Senate Agrees to $4 billion to prepare for influenza pandemic
Featured ArticleMain Category: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 03 Oct 2005 - 21:00 PDT
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The US Senate has agreed to spend four billion dollars towards preparing for the possible flu pandemic which is threatening the world. Now, the bill has to go to Congress.
About $3 billion will go towards stockpiling Tamiflu (oseltamivir), a prescription antiviral medication. The rest of the funds will go towards flu surveillance (worldwide), research and development for novel vaccines, and helping local authorities prepare themselves. The aim will be to have a stockpile of 20 million vaccines.
There is disagreement within the American house as to how serious a threat avian influenza is. Some say it is the biggest challenge to human health ever, while others say the evidence is not yet compelling.
Many have written to us at Medical News Today surprised at the attitude of some politicians. One e-mailer from Texas wrote, 'How compelling does it have to be? When does it have to be compelling? The evidence used to invade Iraq because it had weapons of mass destruction was rather flimsy. The whole operation cost a great deal more than $4 billion.'
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
MLA
14 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/31522.php>
APA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/31522.php.
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Visitor Opinions In Chronological Order (1)
Stop The Stupidity
posted by Patrick Crowe on 5 Oct 2005 at 4:32 pmThe American politicians way is to throw money at a problem whether it is bombs in Irag or Benjamins for Tamiflu. Invading Iraq has not stopped Al Quida and Tamiflu will not stop bird flu. It is stupid. Iraq had no WMD's and Tamiflu hasn't been tested on H5N1. Further, H5N1 is not what will cause the pandemic. It will be a mutant strain of H5N1 coupled to a normal human virus. Vaccines cannot be made for the mutant strain until it happens. Technology is available to the world to prevent this pandemic and Tamiflu is not it (read the research). Tamiflu has shown indications of stopping virus replication in the body AFTER YOU GET THE FLU. Tamiflu won't be at Walmart so you will spread it as easy as the common cold. If the United States was good at prevention, they would have bought every home in New Orleans a raft. Global communication and implementation of ALL the available technology to prevent what is a naturally occurring phenomenon will minimize the bird flu threat. 4 billion on Tamiflu is as weak a response as the dikes or evacuations. I would love to see their cost/benefit ratio analysis on this one. Idiota's.
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