PSoTD

Yesterday, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. suspended shipment of Tamiflu® (oseltamivir) in the United States until there is increased incidence of seasonal flu this year, based on concerns that companies and other large entities that do not yet need Tamiflu for this year’s flu virus will hoard it.

There's ample reason for such concern. Back in August, International SOS, a London-based company that provides medical evacuations and other medical and security services to 6,400 corporations, began advising clients such as the Coca-Cola Co., Motorola Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corp. to consider stockpiling Tamiflu in order to protect employees and keep overseas businesses operating during a pandemic.

Now, there's nothing illegal with International SOS providing this advice. What is unacceptable is that for two-plus months, the American government didn't have the vision, the power or the public approach to actively discourage such activities. Nor was there an effort to try to promote any kind of medicinal distribution plan to the public as a real alternative to what organizations such as International SOS was advising.

It is possible - maybe even probable - that the U.S. government "requested" that HLR stop shipment for now to prevent hoarding. But in the case of pandemic, the Bush Administration needs to do more than to stop pre-pandemic hoarding. The government needs to begin the work now to re-educate Americans about the dangers of hoarding during a health emergency, because Americans haven't been in the situation much in the recent past where it has been an issue.

Corporations and other large entitites.

Sure would be nice if the Federal Government would try to figure out how to provide mechanisms to prevent pre-pandemic hoarding of medicines rather than depending on Hoffmann-La Roche's shipping practices to prevent such activity.

Sometimes "less government" is just less responsibility taken.

You know what would be of interest for the public to know? Just which corporations and large entities are suspected of this hoarding.

Good for Pennsylvania Cable Network. This ought to be interesting.

Newscasts across the world are reporting on the possibility of an avian flu pandemic. But what does it all really mean and how can you protect yourself and your family? PCN will devote an edition of the PCN Call-In program to the topic on Thursday, November 3 beginning at 7:00 p.m.

During the show, viewers can call in toll-free at 1- 877-PA6-5001 to speak directly with experts from the PA Department of Health, the PA Department of Agriculture, and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

It is a little odd. This week is the FIRST week that the U.S. national media and federal government have taken a significant serious notice and focus to the public about the potential of an avian flu pandemic, and you see some bloggers suggesting the story is being overcovered.

No It Is Not. The federal government is behind in their responsibility to American citizens on public discourse of this issue. So is the national media. It may be that this week was a bit of catchup, but it is not overcoverage.

So please... if you're a blogger, and you don't have anything to say about this issue, then just acknowledge that you don't have anything to say about it, and let others post about it. Don't complain about the coverage. It is WAY past due. Maybe negligently past due. In fact, the lateness of the discussion is greatly impacting the tone and focus at this point.

Here are a few blog posts from the past few days on Avian Influenza that are worth your time:

The Next Hurrah: Martial Law And Quarantine?
Effect Measure: Annas on Bush quarantine
Just a Bump in the Beltway: Asleep at the Switch
Fact-esque: Calling Dr. Nietzsche

And a few news articles:

The Independent: Dead ducks in Romania raise fears bird flu is spreading
The Royal Gazette: Bermuda taking steps to fight bird flu threat
Reuters: CHRONOLOGY-Key dates in Asian bird flu outbreak

And, of course, Flu Wiki.

I took my own advice, and sent the following email to our school district's Superintendent.

My daughter, XXXX, is in third grade over at XXXXXX Elementary. I just have a general policy question about whether XXXXX School District has any specific plans/policies in place in the event of an outbreak of Avian Influenza, or any other potential influenza pandemic. I've been reading a lot about the subject in the past few months, and since school children can be the first wave of such an outbreak (and therefore it begins before much public knowledge of the outbreak has occurred) I was wondering what contingencies XXXX might be planning.

I'm not trying to be alarmist, but a concerned parent about this subject.

Update: I received a pretty speedy response. The district monitors the attendance rate every day. Normally, absenteeism is around 2%-3%. The district, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health, has the right to close school when an outbreak occurs for flu and other illnesses. They work with the Division of School Health at the Department of Health and would work to seek their advice in such situations.

Not sure, but would be surprised if there's a similar process for childcare/day care facilities.

From Effect Measure:

School-age flu

Results based on reasonable models of disease spread have suggested vaccinating school-age children (5 to 18 years old) may be a more effective strategy than targeting the "high risk" elderly (over 65 age group). Now a real-time respiratory disease surveillance system at Boston's Children's Hospital shows with actual data that the school-age group gets sick about a month before the adults.

The study doesn't prove preschoolers actually drive each winter's flu epidemic, just that they're harbingers for waves of illness.

"What we think is most likely is that three- and four-year-olds are early spreaders of influenza because of the preschool setting," said John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Children's Hospital of Boston and co-author of the new study.

Brownstein calls the close quarters of preschool and day care, full of kids who don't yet cover their sneezes and are apt to pick their noses, "hotbeds of infection." (Canada.com News)

This begs a couple of thoughts for folks that have kids - like myself:

1) Since school kids tend to get flu before the adult population, and facilitate the spread of it, what is your school or district plan in the case of Avian Influenza? That seems worth asking by every school. Now.

2) How quickly are you going to pull your kids from school if news or rumors of influenza show up in your general geographic area? There's likely to be some confusion at the onset of any influenza outbreak as to what type it is - are you going to keep your kids home from school to be safe?

Ooooh.

News update from Canada's anti-gambling lobbyist group - Gambling Watch Network

The CBC news reported that the Supreme Court ruled that provinces may sue tobacco companies for health care costs (9/30), was followed by a 10/1 article in the Times Colonist speaking of the possibility of suing casinos for causing gambling addiction.

Apparently somebody's preparing for a payday when an avian influenza pandemic strikes, since the following domains have been registered:

avianflu.com
avianflu.net
avian-flu.com
avian-flu.net
avianflus.com
avianinfluenza.com
avianinfluenza.net
avian-influenza.com
avian-influenza.net
avianpandemic.com

Some of these are legitimate, flu-related sites. Some are just holding spots.

Sure doesn't seem to be a likely profit-center if those domains are greatly desired in the future...

October 3 - 9 is Pandemic Flu Awareness Week. You owe it to yourself, your family, your friends, and your community to know more.

ABC News asks: How Many People Could Bird Flu Kill?

Estimates are between 2 and 150 million.

My pic is in the 9/30 grouping. Hint: I'm not wearing a bra.

They've had a great start, raising $1050.40 during their September 30th pre-launch day. But more is needed for the American Red Cross and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The donation page is here.

If you want to increase the value of your photo submission to the Boobie-Thon, include a picture of the ultimate boob, George W. Bush. At least one Republican will pay to see it!