Laidback Al
Well-known member
Re: The Financial Services Roundtable - Preparing for pandemic flu: a call to action
Executive Summary: Preparing for Pandemic Flu: A Call To Action
The risk of a deadly, pandemic flu sweeping around the world is very real. For this reason, this report takes a global view of this danger. Though many of the recommendations are perforce specific to U.S. preparations, the Task Force urges the U.S. Government and other non-governmental entities to work together for a comprehensive plan in order to meet this very real gathering threat.
No one is ready if the pandemic occurs within the next several years. Further, the risks to human life are great and especially so in developing countries.
When a virulent and easily transmissible strain of the flu emerges it will take as long as six months to develop and produce a vaccine. First the virus must be isolated and identified, then an appropriate vaccine found and tested, and finally the vaccine must be produced in sufficient quantities to inoculate every American. But, during this six-month period the pandemic will be well advanced with devastating consequences.
Taking limited vaccine production capacity in the United States and elsewhere into account, the U.S. federal government plans to be able inoculate all Americans within six months of an outbreak -- by 2011. In other words, not only will it take six months after the outbreak of a pandemic to produce sufficient vaccine, this isn?t scheduled to be possible for another five years. This is not a workable plan ? a pandemic could occur at any time.
In addition, anti-viral medications that could slow the progression of the disease - and possibly save some lives ? are in limited supply. The medical systems here and elsewhere in the world are ill-equipped to handle even a mild outbreak of a pandemic virus; these systems would be overwhelmed with one that is more serious.
We must be better prepared. This report recommends a series of steps that the federal government should take, many in concert with governments of other countries, to reduce the threat to lives and the global economy.
We believe a comprehensive plan would cost roughly $10 billion more than the $7 billion the U.S. Government has committed to spending already. This additional sum is less than 1/10th the amount the federal government has devoted to relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, it is a tiny fraction of the more than $500 billion in lost output in the United States alone that a pandemic could cause . Broadly, our recommendations fall into the following categories:
Vaccine and technology: additional investment in developing new vaccine production technologies and the construction of production plants once those technologies are proven safe and effective.
Licenses for maximum dissemination: the U.S. and other governments license all technologies that promise to accelerate production of a vaccine.
Encourage more individuals to get annual flu shots: business and the government should work together to encourage every American to get a flu shot; businesses should pay for seasonal flu vaccinations of their employees, and the federal government and state officials should engage in an annual campaign to encourage every American to be inoculated.
Medical equipment and personnel to treat the afflicted: the U.S. government should spend more to develop other medications which can treat symptoms of the flu, should purchase additional ventilators, and adopt a training program for more medical personnel to operate ventilators.
Continuity in the delivery of services: all firms and organizations which make up this nation?s "critical infrastructure" should implement and regularly simulate pandemic preparedness plans; the federal government should monitor and report on their readiness.
Work globally to ensure maximum sustained coverage: because a future pandemic almost certainly will be global, the U.S. government should provide global leadership and work with other developed countries (and foundations) to support construction of vaccine production facilities in less developed countries, which have fewer resources to combat a pandemic.
Even with the best of preparations, however, it is an unfortunate fact that many people will die if a pandemic flu breaks out. Aggressive proactive policy actions taken now can reduce the extent of human tragedy and economic disruption associated with a pandemic. This report is a clarion call to action.
In the words of Winston Churchill during World War II: "It is no use saying, ?We are doing our best.? You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary."
https://bpi.com/publications/pdfs/PANDEMICFinal.pdf
Executive Summary: Preparing for Pandemic Flu: A Call To Action
The risk of a deadly, pandemic flu sweeping around the world is very real. For this reason, this report takes a global view of this danger. Though many of the recommendations are perforce specific to U.S. preparations, the Task Force urges the U.S. Government and other non-governmental entities to work together for a comprehensive plan in order to meet this very real gathering threat.
No one is ready if the pandemic occurs within the next several years. Further, the risks to human life are great and especially so in developing countries.
When a virulent and easily transmissible strain of the flu emerges it will take as long as six months to develop and produce a vaccine. First the virus must be isolated and identified, then an appropriate vaccine found and tested, and finally the vaccine must be produced in sufficient quantities to inoculate every American. But, during this six-month period the pandemic will be well advanced with devastating consequences.
Taking limited vaccine production capacity in the United States and elsewhere into account, the U.S. federal government plans to be able inoculate all Americans within six months of an outbreak -- by 2011. In other words, not only will it take six months after the outbreak of a pandemic to produce sufficient vaccine, this isn?t scheduled to be possible for another five years. This is not a workable plan ? a pandemic could occur at any time.
In addition, anti-viral medications that could slow the progression of the disease - and possibly save some lives ? are in limited supply. The medical systems here and elsewhere in the world are ill-equipped to handle even a mild outbreak of a pandemic virus; these systems would be overwhelmed with one that is more serious.
We must be better prepared. This report recommends a series of steps that the federal government should take, many in concert with governments of other countries, to reduce the threat to lives and the global economy.
We believe a comprehensive plan would cost roughly $10 billion more than the $7 billion the U.S. Government has committed to spending already. This additional sum is less than 1/10th the amount the federal government has devoted to relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, it is a tiny fraction of the more than $500 billion in lost output in the United States alone that a pandemic could cause . Broadly, our recommendations fall into the following categories:
Vaccine and technology: additional investment in developing new vaccine production technologies and the construction of production plants once those technologies are proven safe and effective.
Licenses for maximum dissemination: the U.S. and other governments license all technologies that promise to accelerate production of a vaccine.
Encourage more individuals to get annual flu shots: business and the government should work together to encourage every American to get a flu shot; businesses should pay for seasonal flu vaccinations of their employees, and the federal government and state officials should engage in an annual campaign to encourage every American to be inoculated.
Medical equipment and personnel to treat the afflicted: the U.S. government should spend more to develop other medications which can treat symptoms of the flu, should purchase additional ventilators, and adopt a training program for more medical personnel to operate ventilators.
Continuity in the delivery of services: all firms and organizations which make up this nation?s "critical infrastructure" should implement and regularly simulate pandemic preparedness plans; the federal government should monitor and report on their readiness.
Work globally to ensure maximum sustained coverage: because a future pandemic almost certainly will be global, the U.S. government should provide global leadership and work with other developed countries (and foundations) to support construction of vaccine production facilities in less developed countries, which have fewer resources to combat a pandemic.
Even with the best of preparations, however, it is an unfortunate fact that many people will die if a pandemic flu breaks out. Aggressive proactive policy actions taken now can reduce the extent of human tragedy and economic disruption associated with a pandemic. This report is a clarion call to action.
In the words of Winston Churchill during World War II: "It is no use saying, ?We are doing our best.? You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary."
https://bpi.com/publications/pdfs/PANDEMICFinal.pdf
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