DEP Press Advisory on Deer Hunting Cancellation, October 2, 2001

■z. ■< Health Secretary Testifies About Germ Warfare Defenses o o Ry SHERYL GAY STOLBERG WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 — Federal -D c '2oo health officials said today that they were accelerating production of a new smallpox vaccine, and taking /A CT o' ■a o tn other steps to strengthen the nation’s 3. ro biodefenses. GO Speaking before a Senate panel. Tommy G. Thompson, the secretary I O o o of health and human services, said c hi.s agency had arranged for the vac­ 3 CD cine’s manufacturer, Acambis iV:- O

P.L.C., to deliver 40 million doses of ■'the smallpox vaccine by the end of next summer — two to three years earlier than originally planned. ‘'fc ■ But the vaccine will not be used to immunize Americans against small­ pox, a disease that was essentially AJ eradicated worldwide in 1977. Instead, doses will be kept in gov­ ernment stockpiles, for use if terror­ ists use smallpox as a weapon. As far as federal health officials know, stocks of smallpox virus exist Associated Press only at the Centers for Disease Con­ trol and Prevention in Atlanta and at Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of (Massachusetts, and Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, listened Russian government laboratories in yesterday to testimony on preparedness for bioterrorist attacks. “We are highly vulnerable,” Mr. Frist said. Moscow. But some bioterrorism ex­ perts suspect that other nations have tion was moving aggressively to de­ Commiftee. “We are vulnerable not to improve the nation’s prepared­ access to the virus and have been fend against a possible biological at­ because we are unprepared today, ness. Mr. Thompson said today that using it to plan biological warfare. tack. But he was greeted with skepti­ but we are underprepared.” he had asked the Office of Manage­ There is concern that terrorists cism by a number of senators, Many] limitations, Mr. Frist and ment and Budget for $800 million. could gain access to these stocks. among them Robert C. Byrd, Demo­ others said, stem from deficiencies Of that, Mr. Thompson said, $60 Dr. Anthony Fauci, the govern­ crat of West Virginia, who asked Mr. in the nation’s public health system. million would be used to speed small­ ment’s top infectious disease expert, Thompson if he stood by his recent said that the smallpox vaccine would Doctors are not trained to recognize pox vaccine production. But that, he be an improved version of earlier assertion that the government could symptoms of diseases caused by bio­ said, was just one of several steps he vaccines and would have to undergo respond to “any contingency.” logical agents, like smallpox, an- had either taken or was proposing. testing even as it was stockpiled. He Mr. Thompson said, “I do,” but thrax, botulism or plague. Hospitals Mr. Thompson said his agency said he believed there would be no Mr. Byrd asked, “Will you still love lack ev^n simple technology, like In- would begin holding annual confer­ problem finding volunteers. me if 1 say to you I don’t believe ternet aiccess, that would enable ences to train emergency physicians The administration eventually that?” them to receive and report informa­ about how to recognize and treat hopes to stockpile enough smallpox The audience laughed, but the un­ tion in tne event of an emergency. diseases. He has also created a new vaccine to treat every American. derlying message was clear; While For example. Dr. Patricia Quin- bioterrorism advisory council. “That’s the ultimate plan,” Dr. Mr. Thompson sought to reassure a lisk, state epidemiologist for the The health secretary also pro­ Fauci, who will oversee testing of the nervous nation, most experts agree Iowa Department of Public Health, posed assigning C.D.C. epidemiolo­ vaccine, said. “Not just stop at 30 or that, while the United States is better testified! that only 10 of the 99 local gists to work at health departments 40 million doses, but to at least have prepared than three or four years health departments in her state have in every state. Currently, 42 such the capability that if we need to ago, much more needs to be done. someon^ on call 24 hours a day, 7 experts, trained to spot trends that vaccinate everybody, we can.” “We are highly vulnerable,” Sena­ days a week. might signify outbreaks of infectious In his testimony, Mr. Thompson tor Bill Frist, Republican of Tennes­ Mr. Frist and three other senators disease, work in 37 states. cited the hastened production sched­ see,.said at today’s hearing before a are urging their colleagues to appro- “Public health is a national securi­ ule as evidence the Bush adminlstra- subcommittee of the Appropriations priate from $1.4 billion to $1.6 billion ty issue,” Mr. Thompson said.

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