Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Postal Service to Deliver Medicine in Case of Anthrax Attack, Obama Orders
ens-newswire.com ^ | 12/30/09 | ens-newswire.com

Posted on 12/30/2009 6:29:03 PM PST by TornadoAlley3

WASHINGTON, DC, December 30, 2009 (ENS) - President Barack Obama today ordered federal agencies to establish a national system for dispensing medical countermeasures in the event of a large-scale biological attack, "with anthrax as the primary threat consideration."

The U.S. Postal Service would be responsible for delivering the medical countermeasures, such as antibiotics, to residents for self administration across all communities in the United States, according to the President's Executive Order issued today.

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which can cause human disease through ingestion, through the skin, and by inhalation.

Although clinical manifestations of the disease differ by route, inhalational anthrax is the most lethal. The threat from a potential antibiotic-resistant strain of B. anthracis is also recognized.

"An aerosol anthrax attack could result in hundreds of thousands of casualties. Anthrax spores can persist in the environment and pose a continued risk for infection, particularly for workers who decontaminate an infected area," the Department of Health and Human Services stated in a December 2008 report to Congress.

Medical countermeasures against anthrax would be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. (Photo courtesy DHHS)

Within 90 days, the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall develop a concept of operations and establish requirements for a federal rapid response to dispense medical countermeasures to an affected population following a large-scale biological attack, President Obama ordered.

The Order requires that a plan for supplementing local law enforcement personnel with local federal law enforcement officers as well as other appropriate personnel, to escort U.S. Postal workers delivering medical countermeasures must be developed within 180 days.

This plan will be developed by the Secretaries of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Defense, and the Attorney General, in coordination with the U.S. Postal Service, and in consultation with state and local public health, emergency management, and law enforcement officials.

This policy seeks to "mitigate illness and prevent death; sustain critical infrastructure; and complement and supplement state, local, territorial, and tribal government medical countermeasure distribution capacity," President Obama said in his order.

To ensure that mission essential functions of federal agencies continue to be performed following a biological attack, the federal government must establish mechanisms for the provision of medical countermeasures to personnel performing these essential functions, the order states.

On January 20, 2004, the Secretary of Homeland Security determined that anthrax is a material threat to the U.S. population sufficient to affect national security.

Project BioShield, enacted into law on July 21, 2004, provides the Department of Health and Human Services with authorities to expedite research, development, acquisition, and availability of priority medical countermeasures for public health emergencies caused by terrorist attacks.

The $5.6 billion that became the BioShield Special Reserve Fund for the acquisition of medical countermeasures was appropriated in the fall of 2003.

The Department of Health and Human Services has acquired medical countermeasures such as vaccines, antibiotics, and therapeutics to meet immediate public health needs in the event of an attack.

Anthrax vaccines offer pre-exposure protection to those at risk from anthrax, and they may provide added protection when given with antibiotics as part of post-exposure treatment.

Antibiotics remain a cornerstone of the response strategy to anthrax and the Strategic National Stockpile now has sufficient quantities of antibiotics for over 40 million individuals.

During the period August 2007 - December 2008, the federal government awarded advanced development contracts for anthrax therapeutics, anthrax vaccine, and broad-spectrum antibiotics.


TOPICS: Anthrax Scare; Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: anthrax; bho44; jihadinamerica; obama; preparedness; usps
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-40 next last

1 posted on 12/30/2009 6:29:04 PM PST by TornadoAlley3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

WOW>..that makes me feel LOTS better......cough...cough...


2 posted on 12/30/2009 6:30:02 PM PST by goodnesswins (Become a Precinct Committee Person/Officer....in the GOP...or do NOT complain.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

Never waste a crisis.

Perceived, or real........


3 posted on 12/30/2009 6:31:47 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Merry Christmas, FReepers!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goodnesswins

er that’s great seeing as my mail man is a complete fool who delivers everyone mail to the wrong address all the time.

so this is bozo and his national security agenda

ah the bozo doctrine, how safe I feel

ARF


4 posted on 12/30/2009 6:31:56 PM PST by manc (WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/THE LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: goodnesswins
Obama trying to act like he is doing something other than playing golf.
5 posted on 12/30/2009 6:32:12 PM PST by TornadoAlley3 (Obama is everything Oklahoma is not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

how do they know how many people live in each house?
does every mailbox just get a big handful?
or what?


6 posted on 12/30/2009 6:37:02 PM PST by Repeal The 17th (I AM JIM THOMPSON!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

I’d feel better with Fed Ex or UPS, etc...the post office is the least efficient.


7 posted on 12/30/2009 6:37:11 PM PST by jacknhoo (Luke 12:51. Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: TornadoAlley3

Sounds like a job for ACORN...


9 posted on 12/30/2009 6:38:28 PM PST by Errant (`)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

or maybe they could get the paperboy could do it?
he is by here very early in the morning
and he also shows up 7 days a week...


10 posted on 12/30/2009 6:38:53 PM PST by Repeal The 17th (I AM JIM THOMPSON!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Repeal The 17th

Don’t be asking any difficult questions please. ;-)


11 posted on 12/30/2009 6:40:00 PM PST by bergmeid (obama. With a small o.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: manc; LibreOuMort
my mail man is a complete fool who delivers everyone mail to the wrong address all the time

MY mailman is Vietnamese, hard-working and accurate at mail delivery. His biggest "issue" is the loneliness of the job (we're on a rural route).

Most of our delivery errors, I believe, belong to his stand-ins.

12 posted on 12/30/2009 6:40:10 PM PST by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Remember Neda Agha-Soltan|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

That’ll work out well. I still haven’t received a Christmas card from my son and his wife that they mailed three weeks ago. Do you suppose it’ll ever arrive or that the post office really cares?


13 posted on 12/30/2009 6:41:40 PM PST by MamaDearest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: F15Eagle

Newman!


14 posted on 12/30/2009 6:42:27 PM PST by chris37
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

This has to be satire, the USPS? Come on, what can brown do for you?


15 posted on 12/30/2009 6:43:56 PM PST by davetex (If it's in stock, we've got it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sionnsar

mines from HI, really nice guy and to be fair not all of mess ups are down to him though most are.
the woman who stands in for him is now a complete doofus


16 posted on 12/30/2009 6:44:10 PM PST by manc (WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/THE LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: manc

lol, I once gave a package to my mailman to deliver, and about 3 weeks later as I was talking to him, I saw it laying in the truck. We’re in good hands


17 posted on 12/30/2009 6:46:09 PM PST by 1000 silverlings (everything that deceives, also enchants: Plato)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: TornadoAlley3
God help us should this happen. That H1N1 shots have gone so smoothly
19 posted on 12/30/2009 6:50:44 PM PST by ColdOne (ColdOne Vote them all out!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TornadoAlley3

Our delivery is pretty good except when it snows or rains and makes mud. Then, fergedaboudit.


20 posted on 12/30/2009 6:53:44 PM PST by Lion Den Dan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-40 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson