American Maggie

There is no shortage of swine flu skeptics. You may hear comments about how H1N1 is no more serious than the seasonal flu, how the whole declaration of swine flu as a “national emergency” is simply a Democrat-affiliated political tactic synchronized with their health “Scare” bill. But in a hearing on Tuesday, held by the House Judiciary Committee on Homeland Security, concerning H1N1 preparedness, Obama’s “national emergency” declaration proved appropriate. Chaired by Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D-MS) and Yvette D. Clarke, (D-NY), members heard statements from authorities concerning assessment of the federal response to the influenza pandemic. There was no lack of evidence that swine flu is a rampant illness taking no prisoners.

Witnesses were grilled on their knowledge concerning measures taken towards preparing the nation for the H1N1 outbreak. State representatives did not resist temptations to drill witnesses on whether or not the United States took substantial measures during the initial influenza scare. While Dr. Nicole Lurie’s initial statement illustrated the federal government’s “successful” response to H1N1, her response to inquiries concerning U.S reactions to the original cases in Mexico proved contrary. Lurie commented on the fact that state and local health officials posed as one of the biggest challenges regarding taking immediate action after the initial outbreaks.

“One thing that has really challenged everyone has been the status of state and local public health officials,” said Lurie, who serves as the assistant secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services. “A chain is as long as its weakest link. We need strong public help on the ground to respond to disease control. The public help has become invisible over the days.”

While public help has been lacking in recent days, one would assume that federal efforts had improved since the onset of outbreaks. However, such assumptions would be false. When asked about the tools for developing H1N1 vaccines, Lurie attested to the notion that “we are using fifty-year old technology” with respect to vaccine production. According to Lurie, scientists are currently using eggs to grow the virus and craft vaccines. Essentially, the rate of vaccine production relies on how well the virus grows in the eggs. While Lurie did site ongoing investment in more advanced technologies, she later stated that these initiatives were not available in time to make vaccines for this pandemic. She cited the need for “more robust manufacturing practices.”

In the second chapter of Tuesday’s hearing, witnesses were asked to discuss the threat of counterfeit H1N1 drugs. This concern was raised in response to recent evidence that 140 misleading drugs are currently on the market, claiming to assist in preventing the spread of swine flu. When asked about these counterfeit antiviral remedies, Marcy Forman, Director of the Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a division of DHS, responded that it is “more of an issue of fraudulent representation than counterfeit drugs.”

But the inquiry remains, what about so-called remedies such as Immune Support Formula? This product, distributed by one of Andrew Weil’s companies, promises to ward off H1N1 by supporting one’s immune system. It may be true that such antidotes are harmless, but the real concern lies in the fact that these misrepresenting solutions can cause further confusion in the already frenzied swine flu pandemic. So what is being done to stop this perceived criminal advertisement? Very little. As Forman mentioned in her statement, government officials are “entering a dialogue” with countries suspected of manufacturing counterfeit medications. However, as of last week the FDA warned of over 75 websites geared towards scamming swine flu-wary consumers.

The federal government needs to do more for its people. As we saw with Hurricane Katrina, lack of deeply rooted federal government aid can prove detriment to citizens. Allow the H1N1 pandemic to be, not another Katrina, but rather an opportunity for the United States government to step up to the plate, enhance communication between government agencies, and support U.S. citizens.

*******

Kathleen Someah previously attended Kenyon College where she studied English and Political Science.  She is currently an intern with a political think tank where she focuses primarily on issues relating to homeland security.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.