Complete abandonment of the vaccine against the Bird Flu with exception of bare bones first responders and military.
Biologists tagging, checking birds to track avian flu in state (click title to entry, thank you)
Posted Oct. 20, 2007
Posted Oct. 20, 2007
3:37 PM
Waterford (AP) _ State environmental workers are capturing, tagging and tracking hundreds of birds to check for cases of avian flu virus. The wildlife biologist who heads the Department of Environmental Protection's migrating game bird program says they're about halfway to their goal of 750 birds. Connecticut has more than 17,000 registered backyard poultry flocks. Many of them are free-ranging and could come into contact with wild birds carrying the virus, which could cause serious economic losses if not prevented. Officials say two samples so far have shown evidence of the low pathogenic form of the bird flu -- but not the highly pathogenic and much more worrisome type.
Article below was published 27 minutes ago from today's USA Today:
In the early weeks of a flu pandemic, the first to receive scarce supplies of vaccine will include the military, medical and emergency workers, pregnant women and babies — nearly 23 million people — under a draft federal plan to be outlined Tuesday in Washington.
At the back of the pack, in a pandemic of the sort that killed 20 million Americans in 1918, would be 74 million sick and elderly adults and 122 million healthy people ages 19-64.
The plan was developed by a government working group that met with scientists and business and community representatives over several months. It provides guidelines for pandemic planners and offers a glimpse into some agonizing decisions that could be necessary in the context of a swift-moving infectious disease and a shortage of protective vaccine.
"Once a pandemic starts, vaccine will come rolling off the line in lots, so there has to be a priority scheme on who would receive it first," says William Raub, science adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt....
At the back of the pack, in a pandemic of the sort that killed 20 million Americans in 1918, would be 74 million sick and elderly adults and 122 million healthy people ages 19-64.
The plan was developed by a government working group that met with scientists and business and community representatives over several months. It provides guidelines for pandemic planners and offers a glimpse into some agonizing decisions that could be necessary in the context of a swift-moving infectious disease and a shortage of protective vaccine.
"Once a pandemic starts, vaccine will come rolling off the line in lots, so there has to be a priority scheme on who would receive it first," says William Raub, science adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt....
