http://www.charlotte.com/observer/natwor/docs/bioterror0124.htm

 

Published Thursday, January 24, 2002

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Veteran of Smallpox eradication battle returns to front

Bioterror plan: New labs, vaccine hoards

Head of new office says it'll take time to prime U.S. defenses for attack

By LAURA MECKLER

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Wary of another bioterrorist attack, federal health officials are proposing a budget plan aimed at building new laboratories, improving hospital readiness and figuring out how to vaccinate the entire population of cities in the middle of a crisis.

Leading the effort is D.A. Henderson, who directed the campaign to eradicate smallpox worldwide and has returned to government service at age 73.

Henderson, who began working for the Department of Health and Human Services in the days after Sept. 11, expects another bioterrorism attack sooner rather than later. He's focusing on preparation that went lacking for years, when the possibility of a bioterrorist attack seemed more remote.

"We cannot, in the period of one year with just a dollop of money, suddenly have a good public health system," he said. "It isn't a matter of just buying an extra aircraft carrier. You've got to develop this over time."

Congress has already set aside $2.9billion for bioterrorism preparation, with much of that slated to buy smallpox vaccine and stockpile antibiotics. President Bush plans to ask for hundreds of millions more in his budget plan for next year.

As director of the newly created Office of Public Health Preparedness, Henderson will have a major say in how the bioterrorism money is spent. His office has authority to direct the bioterrorism effort across agencies within the massive department.

In an interview, Henderson gave an overview of the department's plans, to be detailed in coming days. Among the priorities:

Create a half-dozen regional laboratories. Currently 81 labs around the country handle identification of commonly seen bacteria, but they are not specialized.

Help cities develop plans for vaccinating and distributing antibiotics to large numbers of people. The federal government is buying enough drugs to treat people who may be exposed to hazardous agents. But cities must designate treatment centers and figure out how to transport supplies from airports to centers.

Develop round-the-clock reporting systems between hospital emergency rooms and state health departments. Local doctors must have experts to check with when they see patients with unusual symptoms, which could be the first sign of an attack.

Help hospitals better prepare. Already stretched financially, hospitals are woefully unprepared should a bioterrorist attack require a place to isolate a large number of contagious patients, Henderson said.

Develop better public information. For instance, fact sheets about the five biological agents that pose the greatest threat should be ready to go in a crisis.

Henderson

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.