We Are Not Prepared To Deal With a Pandemic

The President’s Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan shatters our false sense of security that American society is no longer suseptible to infection on a pandemic scope. In fact, this is a very real threat, and we are not prepared to deal with a pandemic. The report clearly illuminates the fact that America currently does not have the ability to produce and maufacture the vaccines and antivirals necessary to treat the American public if a flu pandemic occurred. We need to create incentives for companies to invest in the research and development of new drugs to treat other newly emerging infectious diseases. Developing new antibmicrobial drugs and vaccines is risky and expensive — and companies aren’t doing enough of it. We need to create a favorable economic climate for these important investments in public health.