Death most likely weaponized H5N1 (or is it H5N2 now) created in secret BSL-3 lab at Kobe University Japan by insane virologist/virus thief Yoshihiro Kawaoka and his PhD student Teridah Ernala Ginting; Vietnam killer will probably be found to have Indonesian H5N1 DNA
CIDRAP
03/08/2012
The US Senate yesterday approved reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006 (PAHPA) by unanimous consent, setting the stage for resolving differences between the Senate bill and a House version that was passed in December. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., lead sponsor of the bill, said in a press release that the nation's ability to respond to public health emergencies has improved since 2006, but the 2009 flu pandemic showed that more work is needed. "I am pleased that this bill will strengthen our existing medical and public health preparedness and response programs based on the lessons we have learned in recent years, including ensuring that the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] has the tools it needs to advance the medical countermeasures necessary to respond to modern day threats," he said.
Weaponized H5N1 creators Kawaoka and Ernala |
Mar 8 Burr press release.
Bill summary from Burr's office.
Vietnam's latest H5N1 avian flu patient, a 32-year-old man from Dak Lak province, is being treated at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, Than Nien News reported yesterday. His case is the country's fourth this year, after a 20-month hiatus of H5N1 cases. The man fell ill with a cough and high fever more than 10 days ago, after slaughtering and eating a sick chicken from his backyard flock.
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Vietnam citizen Danh Ni, 18, died from H5N1 on 01/16/2012 |
Mar 6 WHO global case count.
Study shows broad US support for donating H1N1 vaccine to poor nations
Although Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives could generally agree about timely donations of 10% of the US vaccine supply to poorer nations during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, people of different political backgrounds, ideologies, and demographic characteristics disagreed on the amount to donate, according to a study in PLoS One. US researchers surveyed 2,079 US adults from Jan 22 to Feb 1, 2010, after the pandemic's peak and when vaccine was in plentiful supply. They found that 57.6% of Republicans and 54.1% of Democrats supported giving 10% and that percentages for conservatives, moderates, and liberals were 59.5%, 54.5%, and 52.4%, respectively. They found similar general agreement when comparing income level (57.0%, 55.5%, 52.7%, and 57.0% for lowest to highest groups) and priority-group status for receiving the vaccine (54.0% for those in a priority group vs 57.5% for those not). In general, though, the team found that income, priority status, nativity (whether US-born or not), party affiliation, and political ideology were significantly related to views on whether the amount donated should be higher or lower than 10%. For example, 26.8% of Democrats and 14.3% of Republicans thought the country should donate more than 10%, while 11.4% of Democrats and 22.0% of Republicans thought the country should not donate any vaccine. The authors conclude, "Given our evidence for bipartisan support for timely donations, it may be necessary to design multiple arguments, from utilitarian to moral, to strengthen public and policy makers' support for donations."
Mar 6 PLoS One study.