Posted on 11/29/2001 4:09:28 PM PST by rdavis84
US Department of State
International Information Programs
Washington File
_________________________________
27 November 2001
(Report responds to bioterrorism threat) (840) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) November 26 released "Interim Smallpox Response Plan and Guidelines," a document that outlines how health officials all over the country should react in the event of a smallpox outbreak. Considered globally eradicated in 1980, smallpox has reemerged as a health threat because it is highly contagious and could serve as a lethal bioweapon. "Today, we find ourselves preparing for a difficult-to-imagine event, an intentional release of smallpox," said CDC Director Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan in a CDC press release. "Although such a release might be unlikely, we must prepare for it so that the spread of illness will be minimized." Control of the epidemic and preventing the spread of smallpox would be the foremost priority if the disease did reappear. The press release said the plan is a working document that will be updated depending upon changes in health care resources. The current version does not call for a massive vaccination campaign, in the absence of an outbreak of the disease. CDC's experts have determined that the risks of side effects from the vaccine alone aren't worth taking unless smallpox exposure is a distinct possibility. Smallpox is caused by a virus and is spread through infected particles of saliva spread in face-to-face contact. Initial symptoms include a high fever, headache and body aches, followed days later by a characteristic rash. The death rate from smallpox is about 30 percent. Further information on the disease is available at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/Smallpox/Smallpox.asp A summary of the CDC report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/smallpox/ Following is the text of the CDC press release: (begin text) CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION Press Release November 26, 2001 CDC Update: CDC Releases Draft Smallpox Response Plan Atlanta, Georgia - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released "Interim Smallpox Response Plan and Guidelines," which outlines CDC's strategies for responding to a smallpox emergency. The plan, which is a working draft, has been sent to all state bioterrorism coordinators, state health officers, state epidemiologists, and state immunization program managers for review and comment. The plan identifies many of the federal, state, and local public health activities that would need to be undertaken in a smallpox emergency, including response plan implementation, notification procedures for suspected cases, CDC and state and local responsibilities and activities, and CDC vaccine and personnel mobilization. "The global public health community in a landmark effort 21 years ago eradicated smallpox from the planet," said CDC Director Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan. "Today, we find ourselves preparing for a difficult-to-imagine event, an intentional release of smallpox. Although such a release might be unlikely, we must prepare for it so that the spread of illness will be minimized." The plan also provides state and local public health officials with a framework that can be used to guide their smallpox planning and readiness efforts as well as guidelines for many of the general public health activities that would be undertaken during a smallpox emergency. The plan was developed in conjunction with state epidemiologists, bioterrorism coordinators, immunization program managers, and health officials. Many of the strategies and concepts were used successfully in the global eradication of smallpox, which was declared globally eradicated in 1980. The "Interim Smallpox Plan" will remain a working document that will be updated regularly to reflect changes in overall public health resources for responding to a smallpox emergency. State, local, and private health officials are being asked to: 1) identify additional tools that would be useful to their state and local plans; 2) identify and describe gaps in the overall plan, proposed activities, and guidelines; 3) identify concepts, approaches, activities or guidelines that need clarification or further explanation; 4) assess the proposed strategies and guidelines with respect to state and local plans; 5) assess resources and resource needs; and 6) identify additional elements, steps, or activities that should be undertaken in response to a smallpox emergency. The foremost public health priority during a smallpox outbreak would be control of the epidemic. Doctors, health care workers and hospital personnel have been trained to identify infectious diseases, verify their diagnosis and then respond appropriately. The same system would identify any possible outbreak of smallpox. The plan does not call for mass vaccination in advance of a smallpox outbreak because the risk of side effects from the vaccine outweigh the risks of someone actually being exposed to the smallpox virus. A summary of the plan will be posted today at www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/smallpox. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national and international organizations. For the latest update on CDC activities and on-going anthrax investigations visit www.bt.cdc.gov or www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Make it a Head Shot. ;-)
Make it a Head Shot. ;-)
Paging Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine!. . .
;-)
I can't understand a government that does hold the safety of its citizenry to be the TOP Priority.
I know that some of the family of 911 victims are suing OBL... do you think that any of the survivors may ever sue B/H? I look forward to the Congressional hearings on WHY we did not avert this attack, and I expect it to be THOROUGH. Tomorrow I'll read what the poor cash-strapped CDC came up with.
For the previous eight years, the CDC was derailed on gun control, the FBI on campaign finance shell game investigations, the CIA on environmental surveillance and the DOJ on politically correct prosecutions. The career employees are trying to get back to the original objectives of their departments. It'll take a little time, but I'm sure they won't let us down.
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