World leaders (80 Nations) meet in effort to contain bird flu

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9621653/

Officials from 80 nations gather in Washington to devise plans to halt virus.

WASHINGTON - President Bush asked vaccine makers to do their utmost to boost flu vaccine production on Friday, while officials from 80 countries and the United Nations met to start setting up ways to fight a feared influenza pandemic.

Neither meeting provided any immediate solutions, but U.S. officials said they served to raise the profile of the potential crisis and start setting up the networks needed to deal with outbreaks.

“I think what this is, is ratcheting this up,” said Dr. Bruce Gellin, vaccine coordinator at the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services and coordinator of the federal influenza preparedness plan.

I would hope that the tinfoil hat crowd that claims there is nothing to the bird flu and that it is a phony scare whipped up by the W administration will realize that even Rove can't scare 80 Nations into getting together about the bird flu UNLESS IT WAS A REAL THREAT.

In are related story from the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/10/10/europe_bracing_to_battle_bird_flu/


BERLIN -- Europe is bracing for bird flu and the potentially catastrophic pandemic the virus might bring.


Public health officials on the continent, spurred by grim warnings from the World Health Organization, are hoping that the disease spreading westward from Asia will afflict only domestic poultry. But as a strain of the avian disease was detected in Europe for the first time over the weekend, governments were seeking ways to cope with a virus that epidemiologists consider likely to transform into a human pathogen that could trigger a global outbreak of deadly influenza similar to one that killed millions in 1918.

And we all know how much the Europeans despise W, don't we? So does it make sense that they will be taking this seriously if it is just a W scare tactic for Americans?

But please consider how (in)effective this administration has been in dealing with ANY kind of disaster.. the ones he made and natural.

I cannot find hope in this. Take echinacia. Boost your own immune system. Do NOT even think about putting your lives in those hands.

I have become frustrated and agrevated by some of the idiots that think the bird flu is all a Bush scare.

I take it very seriously.

rub thieves oil up your nose and around ears; wear gloves while removing gold fillings.

vaccine=death.

has actually spurred him to take the lead in something for once (well, other than making the rich richer) to bolster his image and precious "legacy". I'm sure it's carefully choreographed to do exactly this, but as a side effect it might really save millions of loves. Go figure!
I take the Avian Flu virus extremely seriously, it has the potential to wipe out millions and bring the world to it's economic knees. For the tinfoil hatters who think the VACCINE itself is designed to kill people, I've had a flu shot every year for the last 15 years and have not even had a COLD in that period of time. I know, there can be no possible connection between flu vaccines and the common cold, but they are safe and at my age and health status even regular, less intense flu strains could kill me.
I'll be first in line to get the vaccine and if I croak I'll let everyone else know not to get it. Deal? ;)

I haven't had a cold or flu for more than 15 years either.
Never had a vaccine. And will not. I won't advise you on medical issues.

edit: If they start coming at you with mandatory "vaccines", it is up to you, but I would back away.

My question is what happens in a month when Bush's rep on disaster is set in stone. If it's like the post 9/11 period, Bush's assurances of a government hard at work making plans to keep you safe aren't going to pan out to much.

The spin cycle of the press and the Bush team time horizon and goal of deflecting blame rather than actually preventing problems pretty much dictate that this weeks scare is off the agenda for next week.

little substance!!

Bush & Co are the ones who've suddenly tried to make us panic. Let's send in the army!

Why not fix the levees to prevent the long-predicted flooding? (Oops--that was the last disaster!)

There's a very good chance that this may be much ado about nothing, but it is always wise to be prepared. It seems Bush and the gang have taken people's concerns over a possible pandemic and used it as a new means for fearmongering.

To fight the water there so they don't have to fight it in LA

The CDC is accused of slowing the release of vaccine information in order to protect corporate interests:



I elaborated a bit on how the public is kept ignorant of how dangerous this policy is here:

www.brainshrub.com/lohan

and :kick:

..Open government advocates are critical of the CDC's "Information Security" manual, the 34-page document that gives officials 19 categories to shield data from public scrutiny without obtaining a "secret" classification.