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Swine Flu Brings A State Of Emergency
  
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Lawmaker Calls For The Mexican Border To Be Closed
By JOE MURRAY, The Bulletin
With the total cases of swine flu reported in the U.S. hitting 20 as of yesterday afternoon, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a health emergency and one Democratic lawmaker called for the United State’s southern border to be closed.
“We expect to see more cases of swine flu,” Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a White House briefing yesterday.
Dr. Besser, who was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, stressed the health emergency was being declared for precautionary reasons.
“That sounds more severe than really it is,” Ms. Napolitano said. Ms. Napolitano said the declaration was “standard operating procedure.”
Mr. Obama was on the golf course, but the White House said he was getting hourly briefings. Concerns also mounted because Mr. Obama’s choice to be HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, has not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
“I think this notion somehow that if there’s not currently a secretary that there’s not the function that needs to take place in order to prepare for either this or any other situation is just simply not the case,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
“I think these guys have given you a pretty good indication of the response mechanisms that are in place and that have been activated relating to this, so, I think it’s all-hands-on-deck and we’re doing fine.”
The health emergency would permit federal and state governments easier access to flu tests and medications. Twelve million doses of the drug Tamiflu were released from a federal stockpile and will be available if necessary.
The health official expected more severe cases to emerge and noted 20 reports of swine flu were reported in eight states. The outbreak started in Mexico and has rapidly worked its way into the United States.
Churches all over Mexico City stood largely empty Sunday as Mexican officials scrambled to deal with the flu epidemic. Since April 13, Mexican President Felipe Caldron said 86 people have died from the flu and estimates 1,400 active cases.
Mexican soldiers have distributed 6 million surgical masks in hopes of containing the virus and Mr. Caldron has assumed new powers that would permit him to quarantine infected individuals. But despite Mexico’s efforts, the flu has spread to the U.S. and infections have been reported as far away as New Zealand.
Concern over the rapid spread of the swine flu inside the U.S. caused one freshman Congressman to call for a closure of the U.S.-Mexico border until the situation is contained.
“The public needs to be aware of the serious threat of swine flu, and we need to close our borders to Mexico immediately and completely until this is resolved,” said U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y.
Mr. Massa said his statement was not meant to invoke fear or express doubt in the country’s ability to handle the flu outbreak, but was issued for safety reasons.
“I have complete faith in our medical professionals and look forward to a swift conclusion to this problem,” he said. “I am making this announcement because I see this as a serious threat to the health of the American public and I do not believe this issue is receiving the attention it needs to have in the news.”
Ms. Napolitano, however, was not as concerned as Mr. Massa and during yesterday’s press briefing, announced the U.S. would not even test travelers for the flu coming into the U.S. from Mexico.
“Right now we don’t think the facts warrant more active testing or screening of passengers coming in from Mexico,” said Ms. Napolitano.
The DHS Secretary said TSA officials would conduct passive screening of those entering in to the country from Mexico. No travel warning for Mexico has been issued at this time, despite the outbreak, officials said.
Yesterday, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett told CNN, the President was taking the swine flu outbreak “very seriously” and was monitoring the situation.
Mr. Obama was recently in Mexico, but officials said he was in top health. Mr. Gibbs said the president was not tested for the flu, but remained confident his health was not in danger.
The flu takes 24 to 48 hours to incubate and Mr. Obama left Mexico nine days ago. Ms. Jarrett reaffirmed the notion the president was in fine health.
“He’s fine. He’s just fine,” Ms. Jarrett said.
Over the weekend New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced students at a Queens school tested positive for swine flu, prompting educational concerns all over the nation. Students at St. Francis Preparatory School in New York were hit with flu symptoms, but Mr. Bloomberg stressed the cases of flu in New York City were mild and those infected were recovering.
Because the virus could spread more easily at schools, the Center for Disease Control prepared the nation for school closures.
Foreign nations were also taking the flu outbreak seriously, as 10 cases were confirmed in New Zealand, six cases in Canada, and three in Spain. Asia was placed on high alert and Russia suspended beef imports from Mexico and from the U.S. states of Texas, California and Kansas shipped after April 21.
This is not the first time concern of a swine flu outbreak gripped the nation. Outbreaks of a similar strain of swine flu occurred in the 1970s and, in 1976, scores of Americans were vaccinated to prevent spread of the flu.
The CDC announced yesterday it was taking similar steps to find a new vaccine. The vaccine in 1976 was, in some cases, worse than the flu and some of those vaccinated developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome; a disease that causes the body to damage its own nerves.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
“We expect to see more cases of swine flu,” Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a White House briefing yesterday.
Dr. Besser, who was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, stressed the health emergency was being declared for precautionary reasons.
“That sounds more severe than really it is,” Ms. Napolitano said. Ms. Napolitano said the declaration was “standard operating procedure.”
Mr. Obama was on the golf course, but the White House said he was getting hourly briefings. Concerns also mounted because Mr. Obama’s choice to be HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, has not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
“I think this notion somehow that if there’s not currently a secretary that there’s not the function that needs to take place in order to prepare for either this or any other situation is just simply not the case,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
“I think these guys have given you a pretty good indication of the response mechanisms that are in place and that have been activated relating to this, so, I think it’s all-hands-on-deck and we’re doing fine.”
The health emergency would permit federal and state governments easier access to flu tests and medications. Twelve million doses of the drug Tamiflu were released from a federal stockpile and will be available if necessary.
The health official expected more severe cases to emerge and noted 20 reports of swine flu were reported in eight states. The outbreak started in Mexico and has rapidly worked its way into the United States.
Churches all over Mexico City stood largely empty Sunday as Mexican officials scrambled to deal with the flu epidemic. Since April 13, Mexican President Felipe Caldron said 86 people have died from the flu and estimates 1,400 active cases.
Mexican soldiers have distributed 6 million surgical masks in hopes of containing the virus and Mr. Caldron has assumed new powers that would permit him to quarantine infected individuals. But despite Mexico’s efforts, the flu has spread to the U.S. and infections have been reported as far away as New Zealand.
Concern over the rapid spread of the swine flu inside the U.S. caused one freshman Congressman to call for a closure of the U.S.-Mexico border until the situation is contained.
“The public needs to be aware of the serious threat of swine flu, and we need to close our borders to Mexico immediately and completely until this is resolved,” said U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y.
Mr. Massa said his statement was not meant to invoke fear or express doubt in the country’s ability to handle the flu outbreak, but was issued for safety reasons.
“I have complete faith in our medical professionals and look forward to a swift conclusion to this problem,” he said. “I am making this announcement because I see this as a serious threat to the health of the American public and I do not believe this issue is receiving the attention it needs to have in the news.”
Ms. Napolitano, however, was not as concerned as Mr. Massa and during yesterday’s press briefing, announced the U.S. would not even test travelers for the flu coming into the U.S. from Mexico.
“Right now we don’t think the facts warrant more active testing or screening of passengers coming in from Mexico,” said Ms. Napolitano.
The DHS Secretary said TSA officials would conduct passive screening of those entering in to the country from Mexico. No travel warning for Mexico has been issued at this time, despite the outbreak, officials said.
Yesterday, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett told CNN, the President was taking the swine flu outbreak “very seriously” and was monitoring the situation.
Mr. Obama was recently in Mexico, but officials said he was in top health. Mr. Gibbs said the president was not tested for the flu, but remained confident his health was not in danger.
The flu takes 24 to 48 hours to incubate and Mr. Obama left Mexico nine days ago. Ms. Jarrett reaffirmed the notion the president was in fine health.
“He’s fine. He’s just fine,” Ms. Jarrett said.
Over the weekend New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced students at a Queens school tested positive for swine flu, prompting educational concerns all over the nation. Students at St. Francis Preparatory School in New York were hit with flu symptoms, but Mr. Bloomberg stressed the cases of flu in New York City were mild and those infected were recovering.
Because the virus could spread more easily at schools, the Center for Disease Control prepared the nation for school closures.
Foreign nations were also taking the flu outbreak seriously, as 10 cases were confirmed in New Zealand, six cases in Canada, and three in Spain. Asia was placed on high alert and Russia suspended beef imports from Mexico and from the U.S. states of Texas, California and Kansas shipped after April 21.
This is not the first time concern of a swine flu outbreak gripped the nation. Outbreaks of a similar strain of swine flu occurred in the 1970s and, in 1976, scores of Americans were vaccinated to prevent spread of the flu.
The CDC announced yesterday it was taking similar steps to find a new vaccine. The vaccine in 1976 was, in some cases, worse than the flu and some of those vaccinated developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome; a disease that causes the body to damage its own nerves.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
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