December 10, 2005: Congressional Budget Office report on the potential impact of Bird Flu on the United States. Somewhere around $675 Billion. But that isn't all there is, they talk about all kinds of economic and societal disruptions.
December 8, 2005: U.S. Hospitals could spread the bird flu? Yes, that is what a recent study says.
November 30, 2005: Doctors and government officials in some cases are saying "prepare, prepare, prepare" and yet they stand in the way of individuals preparing for themselves by buying appropriate treatments. Why is it up to the government or Doctors to decide who should be allowed to stockpile the anti-viral drugs such as TamiFlu and Relenza? Why is it up to the government to decide who should get its stockpiled doses? Does the government control "stockpiling" of food and water? Of course not. Does the government call stocking up on wood for the winter or batteries for a storm, hoarding? Of course not. Then why not let the same intelligence and ingenuity of individual people work in the case of a flu pandemic or other health related emergency?
Imagine if the population could stockpile doses for their families. If even 10% of the population decided to buy enough doses to cover their family, it could make a huge difference in preventing a pandemic (due to the herd effect etc). Think of the money the government would save from having to stockpile the drug. Think of the logistical issues averted. Think of the freedom that represents to have control of one's own future.
Instead of looking to the government to solve the problem, how about letting individual citizen's do it? It is time to bring government control of medicine into the 21st Century and give people the right to do protect their own health.
Of course government has a role, but so do individuals, and those individuals know their own circumstances best. Get the government out of the way and let them prepare.
February 9, 2005: Possible human-to-human transmission in one third of cases. Still difficult for the virus, but unfortunately every change shows mutations.