We are told by out leadership that we risk loss of American life from a Bio-Attack. This is quite a scary notion. We have already allotted over 20 Billion US Dollars to the cause of prevention since 9-11. Tom Ridge indicated that Bio-Terrorism is amongst one of our biggest fears, as much or more than nuclear detonation within our borders. Meanwhile we have Pig Disease and Bird Flu running its course in China and the CDC, WHO, HHS and other organizations and agencies are warning of us an impending Pandemic on top of any Bio-logical or chemical attack being planned by Al Queda. What can we do? Well we must set up a bio-terrorist plan to protect our populations; http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Robotic-Future-of-Hospitals;-Pandemic-Prevention-and-Bio-Terrorist-Attack&id=25570 http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Community-Bio-Security-Plan&id=50732 http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Why-Communities-Must-Develop-Bio-Security-Plans&id=50735 We will need a sufficient distribution system of vaccines for the exact strain of virus used. We will need special first responder protocol. We will need to isolate the problem rapidly. Unfortunately there is much more work to be done and then there is a chemical attack scenario of poison gas. The government does have a national stockpile of some vaccines, such as small pox and can get them anywhere in the United States in 12-hours, yet is any city truly prepared to cope with isolating the situation immediately, the longer they wait the further it spreads. If the city in question is not isolated within a few hours our highly mobile society could spread it to other states. If we wait days, it could be in every states, as the flu often travels. Project BioShield, which was initiated in 2003 could help, but is it enough? Do we have teams ready to identify the biological agent fast enough to react and prevent massive casualties? The answer: Well, it depends. Depends on what it is and if we have what we need; if we have to isolate folks and then find a cure, we are going to take a large hit. Sounds serious? Indeed, it is. Hospitals cannot handle a widespread epidemic and trying to do so would only insure the death of most of the medical staff. Think on this. |
