Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack - Executive Order from President of the USA

[sharon sanders]

Interesting timing..........


The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 30, 2009


Executive Order -- Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack

ESTABLISHING FEDERAL CAPABILITY FOR THE TIMELY PROVISION OF
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES FOLLOWING A BIOLOGICAL ATTACK

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to plan and prepare for the timely provision of medical countermeasures to the American people in the event of a biological attack in the United States through a rapid Federal response in coordination with State, local, territorial, and tribal governments.

This policy would seek to: (1) mitigate illness and prevent death; (2) sustain critical infrastructure; and (3) complement and supplement State, local, territorial, and tribal government medical countermeasure distribution capacity.

Sec. 2. United States Postal Service Delivery of Medical Countermeasures. (a) The U.S. Postal Service has the capacity for rapid residential delivery of medical countermeasures for self administration across all communities in the United States. The Federal Government shall pursue a national U.S. Postal Service medical countermeasures dispensing model to respond to a large-scale biological attack.

(b) The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, in coordination with the U.S. Postal Service, within 180 days of the date of this order, shall establish a national U.S. Postal Service medical countermeasures dispensing model for U.S. cities to respond to a large-scale biological attack, with anthrax as the primary threat consideration.

(c) In support of the national U.S. Postal Service model, 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, within 180 days of the date of this order, shall develop an accompanying plan for supplementing local law enforcement personnel, as necessary and appropriate, with local Federal law enforcement, as well as other appropriate personnel, to escort U.S. Postal workers delivering medical countermeasures.

Sec. 3. Federal Rapid Response. (a) The Federal Government must develop the capacity to anticipate and immediately supplement the capabilities of affected jurisdictions to rapidly distribute medical countermeasures following a biological attack. Implementation of a Federal strategy to rapidly dispense medical countermeasures requires establishment of a Federal rapid response capability.

(b) The Secretaries of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, within 90 days of the date of this order, 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.

Sec. 4. Continuity of Operations. (a) The Federal Government must establish mechanisms for the provision of medical countermeasures to personnel performing missionessential functions to ensure that mission-essential functions of Federal agencies continue to be performed following a biological attack.

(b) The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, within 180 days of the date of this order, shall develop a plan for the provision of medical countermeasures to ensure that mission-essential functions of executive branch departments and agencies continue to be performed following a large-scale biological attack.

Sec. 5. General Provisions.

(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 30, 2009.



http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press...countermeasures-following-a-biological-attack

 

[Celvin11]

Re: Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack - Executive Order from President of the USA

To the topic

From British paper The Guardian one year ago (Dec 2008)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/04/terrorism-nuclear-attack-congress-report

Terrorists could mount nuclear or biological attack within 5 years, warns Congress inquiry

The report, by the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction, said "unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013".

Barack Obama's incoming administration, which is to prioritise tackling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, was briefed on Capitol Hill yesterday about the findings in the 132-page report.

The commission, led by former Democratic senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent, was given six months to complete the report.

Findings

The congressional inquiry:

? Predicts there is likely to be an attack on American soil or elsewhere in the world in the next five years by a terrorist group using biological or nuclear weapons

? Concludes the margin of safety for the US, in spite of the growth of counter-terrorist efforts, is shrinking, not growing

? Singles out Pakistan as one of the main sources of danger, saying all roads involving terrorism and weapons of mass destruction intersect the country

? Expresses concern at the lack of security at laboratories in America handling some of the most deadly biological material in the world and called for increased oversight of the 400 research facilities in the US engaged in such work

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack - Executive Order from President of the USA

Possible study of anthrax vaccine?s effectiveness in children stirs debate

By Rob Stein, Published: October 24

The Obama administration is wrestling with the thorny question of whether scientists should inject healthy children with the anthrax vaccine to see whether the shots would safely protect them against a bioterrorism attack.

The other option is to wait until an attack happens and then try to gather data from children whose parents agree to inoculate them in the face of an actual threat.
</ARTICLE>

A key working group of federal advisers in September endorsed testing, sparking objections from those who consider that step unethical, unnecessary and dangerous. The National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB), which advises the federal government, is to meet Friday to vote on its working group?s recommendation.

?At the end of the day, do we want to wait for an attack and give it to millions and millions of children and collect data at that time?? said Daniel B. Fagbuyiof Children?s National Medical Center in Washington, who chaired the group. ?Or do we want to say: ?How do we best protect our children?? We can take care of Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle and Auntie. But right now, we have nothing for the children.?

The vaccine has been tested extensively in adults and has been administered to more than 2.6 million people in the military. But the shots have never been tested on or given to children, leaving it uncertain how well the vaccine works in younger people and at what dose, and whether it is safe. Unlike with measles, mumps and other diseases, the chance that children will be exposed to anthrax is theoretical, making the risk-benefit calculus of testing a vaccine on them much more questionable.

?It?s hard to believe that it?s something that makes a great deal of sense,? said Joel Frader, a pediatrician and bioethicist at Northwestern University?s Feinberg School of Medicine. ?It would be difficult to justify testing it on kids simply on the hypothetical possibility that there might be an attack.?

...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...stirs-debate/2011/10/13/gIQAFWLdDM_story.html
</ARTICLE>

 

[Emily]

Re: Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack - Executive Order from President of the USA

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/emergent-biosolutions-receives-award-to-supply-4475-million-doses-of-biothrax-to-us-government-over-five-years-2011-10-03
press release

Oct. 3, 2011, 7:00 a.m. EDT
Emergent BioSolutions Receives Award to Supply 44.75 Million Doses of BioThrax to U.S. Government over Five Years


http://classic.the-scientist.com/news/20021022/07/

News from The Scientist 2002, 3(1):20021022-07

Published 22 October 2002

The United States' sole manufacturer of anthrax vaccine has launched a lobbying blitz, urging lawmakers to back a national immunization strategy for civilians....

Read more: National anthrax vaccination urged - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/20800/#ixzz1by7Jiy00

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5368813&page=1
2001:

"They thought Cheney was already lethally infected," said a former administration officer who had kept the White House secret until now, according to the book.

Despite the unnerving news, Cheney calmly reported the emergency to the National Security Council. It turned out that the detection system had malfunctioned and there was no hazard.