Order could speed up treatments by waiving certain medical standards
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has signed a proclamation declaring swine flu a national emergency, the White House said Saturday.
"In keeping with the administration's proactive approach to H1N1 Flu, President Obama last night signed a proclamation declaring 2009-H1N1 Influenza a national emergency," it said in a statement. "The proclamation enhances the ability of our nation's medical treatment facilities to handle a surge in H1N1 patients by allowing, as needed, the waiver of certain standard federal requirements on a case-by-case basis."
Officials described the move as similar to a declaration ahead of a hurricane making landfall.
Todays politics remind me of an old saying. - "Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas?" - Joseph Stalin
Originally posted by L0A1: I figured it was time for another Emergency.
"Don't let a good crisis got to waste."
The first thing that occurred to me when I heard this royal proclamation. So the gang that would take over 20% of the national economy by "reforming" (to use a euphemism) can not even get vaccine to the public. Thats comforting, seeing as how the vaccine is safe and uses the same manufacturing process as the seasonal vaccine. Oh, thats right, this time the feds and local government are handling the distribution. The HHS should be fired for this fiasco.
Worldwide, more than 5,000 people have reportedly died from swine flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, Worldwide, more than 5,000 people have reportedly died from swine flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday. Since most countries have stopped counting individual swine flu cases, the figure is considered an underestimate. Worldwide, more than 5,000 people have reportedly died from swine flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday. Since most countries have stopped counting individual swine flu cases, the figure is considered an underestimate. , the figure is considered an underestimate.
I can't understand this. On other threads noting the shortfall in vaccine availability, the leftist commentary has been that it was overreacting to even take note of the 90% shortfall in delivery vs projections ... and here POTUS 44 is declaring a state of emergency.
Wonder why he is promoting f-e-a-r at this particular point in time?
Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty: I can't understand this. On other threads noting the shortfall in vaccine availability, the leftist commentary has been that it was overreacting to even take note of the 90% shortfall in delivery vs projections ... and here POTUS 44 is declaring a state of emergency.
Wonder why he is promoting f-e-a-r at this particular point in time?
***Makes me wonder too*** People on the AOL Commentary about this subject are ''running scared''' AKA .......Promoting F-E-A-R ...........
It's all about the fear....pushing through HealthKontrol will be in there somewhere, I'm sure...So, with this declaration comes emergency powers, I wonder about the extent, and how far they'll go with the "powers"...I knew it was only a matter of time.
The government does not make the vaccine. They are the customer. I asked one of my doctors yesterday. They problem is that the virus did not grow as fast as they normally do in the eggs, so it took longer to produce the amount of vaccine necessary. It also took longer to package. The US government and the industry has produced a vaccine, tested it and is distributing it in half the time that the seasonal flu vaccine is processed. They are working on new processes to make it easier to produce flu vaccines, but it is a year or two away from being ready for human consumption.
This flu virus is different than past one - it strikes the young and strong, instead of the weak, old and sick. That changes the dynamics of flu vaccine demand and distribution. The number of people in the at risk group is 3 to 4 times the number for the seasonal flu. This flu is not much more deadly than the seasonal flu, but it is killing 5 year olds, not 85 year olds. It is putting 16 year old athletes in the ICU, not 70 year old smokers with heart and lung disease.
As a society we value our children and grandchildren, and do not want to loose them in the beginning of their life. We are rushing to protect them from a disease that is a new and sudden threat. One that can not be curred once contracted, but can be prevented. One that strikes most as very mild, but a few with a vengeance. In many ways this is a repeat of the Polio of the 1950s. Most had little effect (I was just at a lecture on the subject, 95% who contracted had no or mild symptoms), but too many ended up in iron lungs.
The US government and the industry has produced a vaccine, tested it and is distributing it in half the time that the seasonal flu vaccine is processed.
In my humble opinion, both government and industry have done a fine job getting the vaccine developed and tested ... but where government has failed is first in making over-optimistic projections of vaccine availability (off by almost 90%) ... and then being slow to adjust those projections even as the head of HHS was stressing the urgency of getting H1N1 vaccinated. It is only in the last couple days that the shortfall has broken through to the front pages of the major news websites and that no thanks to the government. My criticism of our government is that it has been generally ineffective in its communications with the people it serves.
Originally posted by psychoABN: It's all about the fear....pushing through HealthKontrol will be in there somewhere, I'm sure...So, with this declaration comes emergency powers, I wonder about the extent, and how far they'll go with the "powers"...I knew it was only a matter of time.
From a commentor on AOL regarding this issue....""Now What? In Massachusetts has ''Martial Law'' for Swine Flu""" And then don't Believe me??? Look it up.............So I did......... "It took corporate media swine flu hysteria to ram through a martial law bill in Massachusetts. S18 gives the Governor the power to authorize the deployment and use of force to distribute supplies and materials and local authorities will be allowed to enter private residences for investigation and to quarantine individuals." ............. {{SOURCE)) "http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/2009_04_28_Mass__Senate_approves_pandemic_flu_prep_bill" ARCHIVED FROM THE BOSTON HERALD
"http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55968" ________________________________________"Despite Shortage, US to Donate Swine Flu Vaccine Abroad Through WHO Friday, October 23, 2009" ________________________________________ "As reported earlier by CNSNews.com, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the Obama administration is trying to “balance” its distribution in the United States with the president’s commitment to being a “global partner.”
Originally posted by Agent991: "http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55968" ________________________________________"Despite Shortage, US to Donate Swine Flu Vaccine Abroad Through WHO Friday, October 23, 2009" ________________________________________ "As reported earlier by CNSNews.com, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the Obama administration is trying to “balance” its distribution in the United States with the president’s commitment to being a “global partner.”
Wonder if he realy ever understood what being President of the U.S.A. actually means!
Originally posted by Dave_M: The government does not make the vaccine. They are the customer. I asked one of my doctors yesterday. They problem is that the virus did not grow as fast as they normally do in the eggs, so it took longer to produce the amount of vaccine necessary. It also took longer to package. The US government and the industry has produced a vaccine, tested it and is distributing it in half the time that the seasonal flu vaccine is processed. They are working on new processes to make it easier to produce flu vaccines, but it is a year or two away from being ready for human consumption.
This flu virus is different than past one - it strikes the young and strong, instead of the weak, old and sick. That changes the dynamics of flu vaccine demand and distribution. The number of people in the at risk group is 3 to 4 times the number for the seasonal flu. This flu is not much more deadly than the seasonal flu, but it is killing 5 year olds, not 85 year olds. It is putting 16 year old athletes in the ICU, not 70 year old smokers with heart and lung disease.
As a society we value our children and grandchildren, and do not want to loose them in the beginning of their life. We are rushing to protect them from a disease that is a new and sudden threat. One that can not be curred once contracted, but can be prevented. One that strikes most as very mild, but a few with a vengeance. In many ways this is a repeat of the Polio of the 1950s. Most had little effect (I was just at a lecture on the subject, 95% who contracted had no or mild symptoms), but too many ended up in iron lungs.
There are those who also hold their elderly in reverance. Smokers and those in good health as I am. There is nothing more dear to me than my 3 & 6 year old grandchildren, so I don't see your point in this aspect of your posting. Further, the position of the CDC ahd HHS was that this is the identical process for manufacturing the vaccine, only the ingredient virus changed as with the seasonal flu vaccine. Of course this was when a number of sources was telling us that the vaccine was unsafe. This should have been predictable along with the times and distribution of the vaccine. The 30,000 deaths per year didn't seem to bother the CDC and HHS up till now. Any final tally of this H1N1 deaths is premature at this point. I certainly pray that they are as wrong on the predictions as they have been in all else.
This sounds more like hype rather than precaution. Both the virulance and the mortality associated with H1N1 is a fraction of what is associated with the seasonal flu.
O.K. ......Let me get this straight.... This is a WORLDWIDE 'Pandemic' ....................Then WHY '''just''' the USA????
"The World's Finest" 
