Much is unknown about the avian flu, including when it might begin to spread easily from person to person rather than from poultry to person. But nations need to prepare now for the worst — a worldwide pandemic. The $7.1 billion prevention plan announced Tuesday by President Bush seems warranted, especially as it will ready 20 million doses of the vaccine against the current strain. Congress should be wary of Bush’s push to immunize vaccine makers against lawsuits, but Americans deserve to know their federal government already is doing what it can to monitor, prevent and manage this deadly threat.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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19 Comments
Who will get the vaccine “if” the bird flu hits?
It’s going to be difficult for TeamBush to spin this as a terrorist threat that means more Republicans in government to “protect us,” but I’m betting they’re up to the task . . .
We’ve already been attacked by the “bird-brain,” so now he has a cold?
Bash Bush if he does.Bash Bush if he doesnt.
You got that right, Heckler. These same people would be raising cain if the fed did nothing and an epidemic spread.
It does get a bit tiresome. I sort of pity them..to be so full of hatred and one sidednesss to not be able to see anything else…
Because after all, those right-wingers like Rushbo, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, spittle-flecked Ann Coulter, and her evil Chinese twin . . .
those folks are just full of sweetness and light.
Galahad–
Your simplistic right/left view of the world seems to cloud your judgment sometimes. You obviously have some intelligence, but you hide it well under your extremism.
Whether Rush Limbaugh is a blathering idiot or not has nothing to do with the venom being poured forth on every little issue here. That is what gets a tad tiresome.
The President of the United States has described a program to try to help fight a possibly deadly epidemic. It has nothing to do with right/left wing viewpoints, has nothing to do with politics and has nothing to do with ideology. It is the type of thing that presidents do.. it is part of the job. I am not a soothsayer, and cannot say if the program is perfect or even if it will work. But to criticize him blindly and so continually for every little thing gets old.
You have clearly demonstrated your dislike of his actions. Sadly, you have totally closed off your mind to the possibility that he just might do something positive. That is what is sad.. to see you join the ranks of the hate mongers you obviously despise.
Spirited debate is one thing. We can disagree over the role of government from now until eternity without ever changing any minds at all. Sadly, however, your mind appears to be clouded by such an indescribable hatred that I honestly do pity you.
We spun up a genis here! No wonder I have a life appointment to the new world order president!
If the flu hits we were proven right! Ain’t I a genis!
If there never is a flu ….. then look we prevented a world disaster! Ain’t I a gensis.
What happened to 911, iraq, the plame trason scandle, and the rove investagation? It’s all gone! Ain’t I a gensis!
Lets blame it on the birds …. it worked for hitchcock!
Ray, Heckler.Why are you so offended when someone stands on the street and says:THE EMPEROR WEARS NO CLOTHES?
Do you really see the finest clothes in the land?
I am not offended, Tracy, just tired of the mindless attacks.
I am not defending GW, nor am I saying he is perfect. I just get tired of extremism–on either side.
It is boring. The mindless spewing of venom gets tiresome, and I pity those who’s outlook is clouded by their hatred–regardless of which extreme they support.
There is no black/white, or right/wrong absolute in any of this. Bush is not 100% right..nor is he 100% wrong, as most reasonable people would tend to agree. The extremists–from either side–are so blinded by their prejudices that they fail to see any form of rational thought.
That is the sad part. And the boring part…
I agree about the extremist stuff.I just don’t have any middle road comments for the present regime.Damn the naked aggression that the neocons show for any moderate thinking.
Hmmm, somebody pulled my post. Must’ve been too long.
Well, you’ve got a point, Ray.
Once your president basically tells democracy to drop dead so he can win (2000 Florida vote debacle), tries to gut Social Security so he can continue to cut taxes to the rich, and takes the nation to war based on non-existent Weapons-of-Mass-Distraction, I just don’t feel I can trust the man.
You can continue to live your Pollyanna dream world that Mr. Bush gives one damn about ordinary citizens like you and me.
But I’ve seen the evidence, and the evidence leads me to the opposite conclusion.
Remember, it’s just as irrational to think good of someone who does evil as vice-versa.
A liar is never believed, even when he tells the truth.
Aesop
Galahad–
What does any of this have to do with a plan to deal with a possible epidemic? It is not about ’spin’ or politics, it is about federal preparation to deal with a potentially fatal disease. If there was no prep, you would castigate GW just the same.
Once again, your tunnel vision turns everything into a political right wing/left wing rant.
Your insults about Pollyanna ideals because I do not agree with your narrow minded extremism almost seem beneath you. Then again, maybe I ascribed a little too much intelligence to you? It seems your primary rants are based on cutting and pasting from extremist websites.
I will not sink to your level. My continued request is for some kind of rational, mature discussion. Insults, extreme claims and wild accusations are a waste of bandwith.
“Tunnel vision, rant, narrow minded extremism, I ascribed a little too much intelligence to you, will not sink to your level, wild accusations.”
Well, thanks for the . . . uh . . . mature and rational discussion, Ray.
I don’t think Bush has the intellectual curiosity to understand the threat or lack of one that the N5H1 virus poses, or the administrative abilities to know the best response to it even if he did understand it.
He’s an idiot.
That’s not “narrow mindedness” on my part. That’s drawing conclusion based on his past actions.
Hey people,Isn’t it obvious? After all those red and yellow alerts, people are losing their fear of terrorists under every bed, so something has to keep ‘em scared enough to vote republican!
Shoot, what’s all the fuss about?
Right now, bird flu transmits between birds, and from birds to humans.
But it doesn’t spread from humans to humans.
Sure, epidemiologists predict that like most influenza viruses, this virus will eventually mutate so that it’ll spread between humans.
But, that would require evolution . . . so according to the KS board of education, we’re all safe, right?
Good point, CSA.
And no doubt the right-wingers will say the virus is another “scourge of God” for abortion and homosexuality (it could never be for, say, killing civilians in Iraq), so developing a vaccine is thwarting the will of the Almighty.
(Of course, if he were really All Mighty, then a vaccine wouldn’t be able to stop the virus . . . okay, I’m getting all confused now.)