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Joe - maybe some of the listees or others may be interested in the poll below, with results sent to WHO. (I know they're connected to the UN so they're *aham* tainted, but who knows? Maybe it'll do some good.)

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8029

This poll will be forwarded to WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Given that:
"Today, the world’s vaccine companies could produce enough doses of adjuvanted 30 mg HA vaccine in six months to vaccinate less than 100 million people,"

- "Production capacity is unlikely to increase substantially within the next 3-5 years,"

- "antiviral drugs, particularly the neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs), will be effective against any pandemic virus, and stockpiling is possible (1). However, supplies will likely be limited, even with a relatively large stockpile, and may well be exhausted without careful planning before vaccine is available."

-"Influenza A (H5N1) virus with an amino acid substitution in neuraminidase conferring high-level resistance to oseltamivir [Tamiflu] was isolated from two of eight Vietnamese patients during oseltamivir treatment."

1) Are you interested in having the world's governments, for-profit ventures, foundations, etc. fund the investigation of approaches to pandemic influenza preparedness, such as further investigation into the use of statin drugs for prophylaxis and treatment of pandemic influenza?

2) Would studies of medical treatment alternatives be important for providing physicians in all countries with something to offer patients for treatment and prophylaxis of pandemic influenza?

3) Would you support the further development of a WHO "polypill" (containing statins and/or other promising medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, aldosterone antagonists, or phosphodiesterase inhibitors) for immediate clinical trials among H5N1 victims in southeastern Asia?

4) Do you support the use of population-based administrative databases to evaluate reduced rates of hospitalization and death due to influenza related conditions among people taking other promising medications such as widely available and inexpensive (generic) medications?

5) Would you like to see the World's governments, for-profit ventures, foundations etc. initiate animal studies of statins (and other promising medications) to evaluate their efficacy in reducing the morbidity and mortality following infection with potential pandemic influenza viruses?

6) Do you support this "bottom-up" approach in evaluating known medications with proven clinical safety profiles that are already available and affordable in third world nations as a research strategy that must be undertaken with a great sense of urgency?