Posted on 10/04/2005 12:02:27 PM PDT by areafiftyone
WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush asked Congress on Tuesday to consider giving him powers to use the military to enforce quarantines in case of an avian influenza epidemic.
He said the military, and perhaps the National Guard, might be needed to take such a role if the feared H5N1 bird flu virus changes enough to cause widespread human infection.
"If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine?" Bush asked at a news conference.
"It's one thing to shut down airplanes. It's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?" Bush added.
"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have."
Bird flu has killed more than 60 people in four Asian nations since late 2003 and has been found in birds in Russia and Europe.
Experts fear that the H5N1 bird flu virus, which appears to be highly fatal when it infects people, will develop the ability to pass easily from person to person and would cause a pandemic that would kill millions.
"And I think the president ought to have all ... assets on the table to be able to deal with something this significant," Bush said.
He noted that some governors may object to the federal government commandeering the National Guard, which is under state command in most circumstances.
POLICE DUTIES BANNED
"But Congress needs to take a look at circumstances that may need to vest the capacity of the president to move beyond that debate. And one such catastrophe or one such challenge could be an avian flu outbreak," Bush said.
The active duty military is currently forbidden from undertaking law enforcement duties by the federal Posse Comitatus Act.
That law, passed in 1878 after the U.S. Civil War, does not prohibit National Guard troops under state control from doing police work. But, unless the law is changed, it would keep them from doing so if they were activated by Washington under federal control.
While the law allows the president to order the military to take control and do police work in an extreme emergency, the White House has been traditionally reluctant to usurp state powers.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters he was not aware of any current planning by the military to help respond to a flu pandemic.
But he noted that after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf region, Bush had asked Congress to consider giving the military control over initial response in dealing with major natural or other domestic disasters.
"Obviously the (Defense) Department has a tremendous amount of capability in a lot of areas. And we are a large force," Whitman said, noting also that the military had deployed field hospitals to Louisiana after the hurricanes.
Health experts are working to develop vaccines that would protect against the H5N1 strain of flu, because current influenza vaccines will not.
And countries are also developing stockpiles of drugs that can reduce the risk of serious disease or even sometimes prevent infection -- but supplies and manufacturing capacity are both limited.
Bush said he was involved in planning for an influenza pandemic, which experts say will definitely come, although they cannot predict when, or whether it will be H5N1 or some other virus. (Additional reporting by Maggie Fox)
Well, people will still get broken arms, appendicitis, have heart attacks, strokes, diabetic complications, breast cancer, peritonsillar abscesses, gall stones, pancreatitis, kidney stones, deep vein thromboses...those ordinary(!) illnesses won't stop just because of the flu. Not to mention women will still have babies. Though most of them may not NEED medical intervention, some will.
Will most people just get the flu and die or recover at home without ever being seen by a doctor? Maybe. But field hospitals for either flu victims or regular health problems will still be needed. Just my opinion.
I cannot argue that unsuspecting people have gotten aids. But we quit quarantine for tb way back in the 60's prior to aids.
Drug resistant tb is out there and there is no quarantine. Syphillis can kill if it is not treated, no quarantine.
Public health long ago quit doing contact tracing and we quit doing forcible quarantine long ago. I opposed that but I also opposed having people being able to make the decision not to have immunizations.
Lets see,,we have Hepatitis, leprosy {poorly transmitted}, tuberculosis, carriers of streptococcus, syphilis. Not to mention Herpes genital infections, HPV which causes cervical cancer and is very aggressive for some types.
I dont think quarantine is coming back for those illnesses. But in the case of a highly contagious virus with a pandemic and expected deaths in the millions over a short period of time, I think there will be some kind of public health response. Maybe just closures of institutions, closure of airports and public transport, movies, ball games, bars, etc,,any place where people congregate. That would seem reasonable to me.
It is not fun, it is merely inevitable. I am not the least bit frustrated. I am really angry that MY money is being spent to prolong their lives. Homosexuals, drug addicts, and totally irresponsible people aren't worth my money; they certainly aren't worth my sympathy.
As for your "request" that I seek help: request denied. I might get "helped" by somebody like you. I have better things to do with my life.
Yep, but damn, I would have to be at death's door to go to a hospital or doc's office during an epidemic especially if the mortality rate was high.
U.S. Concentration Camps: REX 84
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/pages/camps.html
"Within just two years, 20 percent to 40 percent of the human race was thought to have fallen ill from the virus."
And I believe that EVERYONE had been EXPOSED to it.
ROFL! I have to be almost at death's door to go to the doctor now, as it is! And I'm a nurse!
But if my granddaughter broke her arm again, a compound complex fracture, I'd want it set properly, and antibiotics given, and surgery if needed...I wouldn't want to take care of that at home...
Fair enough, though most of those diseases are treatable or very rare. Also, once admitted to a hospital, many wards or rooms are quarantined, depending on the illness.
In a pandemic, i don't think there will be any choice. If people start dying by the thousands, areas will begin to quarantine themselves.
He'll still be posting (or saying) something stupid llike it was Bush's fault ...
We've had worse plagues than this in the past, and they didn't call out the Army.
I posted early though I still havent seen anything about migratory bird transmission. Im almost through the thread
Good night all...
I think he thinks something is coming.
Migratory bird transmission of Avian flu is covered on the Avian Flu Surveillance Thread, iirc. Backhoe may also have a link to an article about it.
There's a map posted on the AVST near the end I think, that shows the movement of birds that have tested positive for Avian flu, beginning in China...shocking.
Good night, catch ya later.
Good night. God grant you sweet dreams and restful sleep.
PS, judithann won't get me. Try Judith Anne. ;-D
"Does he know it's coming?"
The Seattle Times newspaper had an article today on how the Mayor has given reccomendations to businesses on how to deal with it and is setting up a task force. Seattle - Emerald city of the Pacific Rim.
I thought there was something on FR the other day about bioterrorism and Seattle. Maybe I read it wrong.
bad idea
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