Just to give you an idea of whats going on in the United States...

Just to give you an idea of whats going on in the United States at the moment.

This must be representative of what is happening all over. It means big orders on the way.

Cheers a BTA ramper and proud of it.


N.H. official wants to start stockpiling antiviral drugs in case of bird flu pandemic

June 15, 2006

The Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — The state needs to think about stockpiling antiviral medications in preparation for a possible influenza pandemic, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen wrote Wednesday in a letter to New Hampshire's governor and legislative leaders.

"Should a pandemic strike New Hampshire, treatment with antivirals could save the lives of those who have been exposed to a potentially deadly virus," Stephen wrote.

Stephen noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is giving states the chance to buy the medications, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, through its contract at reduced prices, "an opportunity that we must exercise quickly if we are to take advantage of it," he wrote. Such purchases must be reserved by July 1, he said.

The CDC has recommended that states and the federal government buy enough medication to cover 25 percent of each state's population. For New Hampshire, that means 327,351 treatment courses of antivirals, Stephen said. He said his department also recommends that the state buy antivirals for health care workers, first responders and nursing home residents.

Since the drugs would be going mostly to local governments and health-care providers, the department is exploring the possibility of either a cost-sharing agreement with the towns or using the state as a conduit to allow the towns to access the lower costs for the drugs through the CDC contract, Stephen wrote.

The CDC has indicated that the drugs would not be available until October or November 2007.

States have been preparing for the possibility of a bird flu pandemic. The virus — is genetically similar to the 1918 virus, whose victims quickly died of pneumonia, but it is not easily transmitted to humans or human-to-human.

If the bird flu should cross over to humans, perhaps 90 million Americans will get sick, 45 million will seek medical care and 2 million will die, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt has said.