Obama Declares H1N1 Flu 'National Emergency'

Fox News ^ | 10/24/09 | AP/Fox News

[TennesseeGirl]

President Obama signed a proclamation declaring the H1N1 influenza a national emergency, giving doctors and medical facilities greater leeway in responding to the flu pandemic.

Obama signed the declaration late Friday, which the White House said allows medical treatment facilities to better handle a surge in flu patients by waiving federal requirements on a case-by-case basis.

"The foundation of our national approach to the H1N1 flu has been preparedness at all levels -- personal, business, and government -- and this proclamation helps that effort by advancing our overall response capability," the White House said in a statement.

In the proclamation, Obama said the pandemic keeps evolving, the rates of illness are rising rapidly in many areas and there's a potential "to overburden health care resources."

Because of vaccine production delays, the government has backed off initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses would be available by mid-October. As of Wednesday, only 11 million doses had been shipped to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (excerpted)

[TennesseeGirl]

"The H1N1 pandemic is a national emergency?" Except the CDC stopped testing for H1N1 effective July 2009. How do they know?

[omega4179]

WE ARE GOING TO DIE.

[dljordan]

Exactly what legal weight does a Presidential Proclamation have?

[allmost]

They stopped testing, literally invented a slew of statistics and deaths, this was a step many saw coming. The ‘state’ can’t prevent human contact and there is not enough vaccine. What can possibly be gained from this?

[YankeeReb]

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that the Bama is pushing for socialized medicine and WOW you have a national medical emergency. Yeah, just a coincidence.

[allmost]

For the people, that is.

[Newfy]

So how come he and his family haven’t had the shots?

[mapmaker77]

I DON’T TRUST THESE PEOPLE!

[The Comedian]

America has been in one long, shifting emergency since Jan. 20, 2009, and will be in one long, shifting emergency until Soetoro is frog marched out of the WH.

That being said, there is something exceptionally sinister about this Federal response to a flu.

Consider this: The Federal government gets everyone in a panic over a less-than-lethal flu, and a *real* killer, like an H5N1 (60% mortality) variant with H1N1 communicability shows up in February 2010, but America is burned out on the whole flu scam from last time, and millions die because of this "crying wolf" in Oct. 2009.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[maine yankee]

I agree

I hate to sound like a member of the ‘tin foil’ brigade, but; I feel like this is the first shot fired in the next revolution.

...What phrase will we use as our “wolverines !” ?

[Outrance]

348 Million people

1,000 deaths

[allmost]

So how come he and his family haven’t had the shots?

In the event of an actual emergency it's pretty much SOP to ensure the President's safety. Your question has more to do with the reality of the threat.

[equaviator]

This declaration by Barack Obama is just another abuse of the power of suggestion, plain and simple.

[freekitty]

I have had it with their lies.

[Texas4ever]

Is this his attempt to do something Presidential?

I declare swine flu bad...emergency...uh...I proclaim...

Enough speeches....do something!

[TennesseeGirl]

According to the TN Dept. of Health, only 33,000 H1N1 vaccinations have been given to date. We had the live intranasal FluMist for about a month. This week they started using the dead virus injections. Color Tennesseans skeptical.

[Caribou]

[Eroteme]

“You don’t ever want a serious crisis to go to waste; and what I mean by that, it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid.” —Rahm Emmanuel

[RnMomof7]

I think this gives him the right to pull old folks off life support (ventilators) so young folks can have them...

It probably also allows him to censor our email and internet news... maybe shut down Fox, and send in the troops .

He is now “the man”

[tumblindice]

If we don’t act right now then—let me be honest—either Fox news or that flu is going to kill us all tomorrow.
your putative president

(Urgent Emergency by Foreigner)
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