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U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
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For Immediate
Release October 6, 2005 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Press Secretary 202-228-3630 Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary 303-455-7600 |
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| Sen. Salazar Urges Administration to Take Immediate Action to Prepare Nation for Avian Flu Outbreak WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thirty-three Senators including Senator Ken Salazar called on President Bush to make immediate preparations for the possibility of a massive avian flu outbreak. Salazar and his colleagues wrote Tuesday to the White House asking the President to take immediate action to address the threat of a global flu outbreak which could potentially kill millions. “This deadly new strain of flu is highly lethal and could become a worldwide pandemic. It is spreading in Southeast Asia today, and could threaten the lives of millions of Americans soon,” wrote Senator Salazar. Recently, Dr. Michael Leavitt, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, acknowledged that the Nation was under-prepared for an avian flu outbreak. In their letter, Senator Salazar and the other Senators highlighted these issues of concern:
“We urge you to release the final Pandemic Influenza Plan without further delay, allocate the resources necessary to address this threat and take the steps necessary to protect the American people,” wrote Senator Salazar. Over the past two years, the avian flu virus known as H5N1 has killed 60 people and 140 million birds in Asia. Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta reconstructed the 1918 “Spanish Flu” influenza virus that killed 50 million people worldwide and determined it to be a similar avian flu that moved directly from birds to humans. The current avian flu virus was found to have genetic similarities to the 1918 flu virus and is becoming more similar each day. A copy of Senator Salazar’s joint letter to the White House can be found below:
October 4, 2005
President George W. Bush Dear Mr. President, We write to express our grave concern that the nation is dangerously unprepared for the serious threat of avian influenza. This deadly new strain of flu is highly lethal and could easily become a worldwide pandemic. It is spreading in Southeast Asia today, and could threaten the lives of millions of Americans tomorrow. Dr. Lee Jong-wook, Director-General of the World Health Organization, warns that “No Government, Head of State, or Minister of Health can afford to be caught off guard. There is a storm brewing that will test us all….Failure to take this threat seriously and prepare appropriately will have catastrophic consequences.” We are deeply concerned that the Administration is not adequately heeding this warning and is failing to take the steps essential to protect the nation from this major disease. Dr. Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services, recently admitted that the nation is not as prepared as we need to be. This lack of advance planning and inadequate preparedness can have tragic consequences when disaster strikes. The Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan, which the WHO deems essential to proper readiness, has yet to be finalized, despite having been released in draft form over a year ago. As a result of this inaction, preparations for an avian flu pandemic have been needlessly delayed. The nation’s public health infrastructure is weak, and our hospitals lack adequate surge capacity – yet the Administration has proposed cuts in the very programs that provide critical elements in our preparedness for epidemics. The Administration has also failed to meet the World Health Organization recommendations for building stockpiles of vaccine and anti-viral medication. Action is urgently needed to address the threat of pandemic flu. Last week, the Senate approved a Democratic amendment to the Department of Defense appropriations bill to begin providing the resources needed to address this threat. Specifically, our amendment provides $3.9 billion to stockpile antivirals and necessary medical supplies; expand global surveillance and domestic vaccine infrastructure; improve state and local emergency preparedness centers and hospital surge capacity; and provide risk communication and outreach to providers, businesses, and to the American public. We urge you to release the
final Pandemic Influenza Plan without further delay, allocate the resources
necessary to address this threat and take the steps necessary to protect
the American people. # # # |
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