Letters to the editor

Flu pandemic advice

Dear editor:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has been warning federal, state and local officials about a probable flu pandemic. Unlike natural weather occurrences, which are generally contained in one area and last short period of time; a flu pandemic knows no border and it may continue for many months.

So, what can we do? President Bush and Secretary Leavitt have been very proactive in making the U.S. as prepared as much as it can be. The President has proposed and Congress has partially funded the following five priorities: 1 -- Monitoring disease spread to support rapid response, 2 --Developing vaccines and vaccine production capacity, 3 -- Stockpiling antivirals and other countermeasures, 4 -- coordinating federal, state and local preparations and 5 -- Enhancing outreach and communications planning.

Although we may have a vaccine for H5N1, the strain has evolved over time and work has begun on a new vaccine.

There is simply no way to predict which strain, if any, might produce a virus capable of mass human to human transmission. Our current vaccine production is slow, using chicken egg based technology, so new production capabilities using cell base technology must be developed to protect more of the population.

State and local health departments will develop and implement plans for local response, including vaccine distribution and possibly, quarantine to help limit transmission. They will also take the lead locally to educate the public within their jurisdictions.

We do not know with certainty when the pandemic flu will strike, but we know that it will.

Planning has started but even if nothing happens for several years, the planning will not have been wasted; our public health system will be stronger and will be better able to serve the people.

To learn more about the Pandemic Flu, please visit www.pandemicflu.gov.

Fred Schuster, regional director,

Department of Health and Human Services