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January 22, 2003

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"U.S. Deploying Monitor System for Germ Peril"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (01/22/03) P. A1; Miller, Judith

The White House will soon launch a national environmental warning system that will sound an alarm if anthrax, smallpox, or another biochemical agent has been released into the air.  Administration officials said the Bio-Watch system, which has been tested over the last nine months, is programmed to give 24-hours notice if a chemical agent or deadly germ has been released into the atmosphere.  This is intended to provide officials with more time to send medical personnel, vaccines and antibiotics, and medical equipment to the site of a bioterror attack.  Readings will be issued to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) 3,000 air quality monitoring stations located throughout the United States to register disproportionate quantities of a variety of pathogens.  Although officials did not disclose how many EPA stations will be used, they did say that New York would be one of the first cities to participate.

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