National Emergency: Obama Makes Formal Declaration on Swine Flu

You guys are all ridiculous. Stop believing everything you see on tv. Do us all a favor and go to the CDC website and try reading about both types of flu. Compare the two and then hold your breath on this one.... prepare to eventually get the H1N1. We all will .... and we'll all be ok. Just like when you get the regular flu. We'll be ok. Come on people. It's all about healthcare. Seems interesting that this "scare" comes at the peak of the health care reform. Coincidence? Who knows? Time will tell ...

If you have a litttle knowledge in medical science, you should understand that every drug and every vaccine potentially can have side effects. The issue before us is how this administration and the current authorities of the CDC had been handling this crisis. Back in the spring this year, they were the one who told us not to panic. They told us to wash our hands and use our common sense and we would be fine. Then they quietly spent $2 billion to develop a vaccine in a rush and tried to roll it out with absolutely no scientific testings conducted to ensure the vaccine's safety. This morning, there is an article on ABC saying that the US might end up discarding the unsed H1N1 vaccines if the government cannot deliver the vaccine to the people in time. This is what a joke that I am hearing and it shows how disorganized the current administration is. If Obama had really taken this swine flu seriously from the beginning, he should have done every thing he could to try to contain the virus in Mexico. There were a number of things that could have been done at little cost to the US economy: #1. Close down the US-Mexico border temporarily. #2. Quarantine the travellers returning to the US from Mexico. #3. Send the best US-WHO medical team to Mexico to help the people there to fight the disease instead of allowing the virus to spread across the border and then all over the world. If all three of these were done, we would have slow-down the virus substantially and we might not even have a crisis as we have today. But even if the virus eventually still spread across the border after all these things were done, we still have more time than what we have now to develop and test the vaccine before it is given to the general public and we also have more time to deliver the vaccine to the people so as to avoid chaotic situation.

“Actually, I take all of the polls of either likely or registered voters that are included in the current RCP average, and I calculate their average by...well, I assume you know how to calculate averages.

“If you don't like what the polls of voters say, as opposed to polls of all adults, that is your problem. I will continue to post the average of the polls of voters, regardless of their numbers, and let the chips fall where they may.”
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 26, 2009 6:53:15 PM

The RCP average - the REAL RCP average - includes recent polls of registered voters, likely voters, AND adults. In fact, most of the polls are surveys of adults. You can’t perform your own calculations on cherry-picked polls and still call it the “RCP average.” That would be dishonest. Of course, that has never stopped you before.

I’m sure you realize that the Marist and Fox News polls (voter surveys) will soon be dropping off the current RCP list, leaving Rasmussen all alone. What will you do until the next voter poll comes along – divide Rasmussen by 1 and call it an average? LOL!

America needs jobs. And I think 1 good place to start would be to have our own medical laboraties making medicine right here on our soil. And I also think America should also manufacture the daily necessities that Americans need. It would definately improve the quality of life in many ways. And frankly, why not? Seems like common sense to me.

...What I do know is that the entire undertaking will be vastly more expensive than it is projected to be today, that it will be funded by higher taxation and borrowing, and that along with Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security it will prove unsustainable and fiscally disastrous. And I know that no one who votes for it today has either a doubt or a care about those facts.

Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 26, 2009 6:49:51 PM

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I care about those facts!

In fact I’m looking forward to the day when taxes on the rich (nearly all Republicans) go up to pay for health care reform.

It’s the ‘kill two birds with one stone’ approach.

"Don’t be fooled by this individual who cherry-picks his favorite polls, calculates his own average, and then posts his handiwork here with the RCP label slapped on to it."

Actually, I take all of the polls of either likely or registered voters that are included in the current RCP average, and I calculate their average by...well, I assume you know how to calculate averages.

If you don't like what the polls of voters say, as opposed to polls of all adults, that is your problem. I will continue to post the average of the polls of voters, regardless of their numbers, and let the chips fall where they may.

"You expected them, as a private business (having to show a profit for their shareholders if at all possible), to invest in doubling their lab space, equip them and hire the experienced technicians to work them so they would be ready in case we were fighting two major types of flu at the same time."

I expected no such thing. I simply expected the government to prepare adequately, and be able to respond to, and emergency of this kind. I always expect this kind of behavior from the federal government, and I am very rarely disappointed.

By the same token, I expect the government to have absolutely no idea how many people will opt into or out of whatever elective health insurance options they permit, nor what effect the forthcoming legislation will have on costs and premiums, nor what future amendments will cause overall costs to rise.

What I do know is that the entire undertaking will be vastly more expensive than it is projected to be today, that it will be funded by higher taxation and borrowing, and that along with Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security it will prove unsustainable and fiscally disastrous. And I know that no one who votes for it today has either a doubt or a care about those facts.

you need the passover

Fascist Hyena, let me get your attitude on the vaccine labs straight.
You expected them to know a couple of years ago that we would require vast numbers of two flu vaccines, rather than the usual one. You expected them, as a private business (having to show a profit for their shareholders if at all possible), to invest in doubling their lab space, equip them and hire the experienced technicians to work them so they would be ready in case we were fighting two major types of flu at the same time. Oh, and they should have known that the swine flu would take much longer to incubate in an egg than the common flu types they have dealt with for the last ten years.
Does any of that sound realistic to you?

"So, the ‘contracted’ 120 million doses won’t be done until the the end of the year."

Competent contractors would have anticipated this. But these were government contractors.

But here's a great idea: let's create a government-run production lab and staff it with civil servants.

Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 26, 2009 1:35:45 PM

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Novartis (Tickers - NVS, NOVN.VX), GlaxoSmithKline PLC (Tickers - GSK, GSK.LN), Sanofi-Aventis SA (Tickers - SNY, SAN.FR), CSL Ltd. (Tickers - CSL.AU), who have ‘contracted’ out to deliver 251 million doses, are all “competent contractors” aren’t they?

After all they are all large, multi-billion dollar companies like the ‘Health Insurance Companies’. They all trade stock on the stock exchanges.

Who else do you think these ‘contracts’ should have been awarded to if not them? Who are the ‘competent contractors’ in this arena?...I’m all ears.

Looks like your last “idea” might in fact be a good one...don’t you think?

And there he goes again.

Don’t be fooled by this individual who cherry-picks his favorite polls, calculates his own average, and then posts his handiwork here with the RCP label slapped on to it.

"So, the ‘contracted’ 120 million doses won’t be done until the the end of the year."

Competent contractors would have anticipated this. But these were government contractors.

But here's a great idea: let's create a government-run production lab and staff it with civil servants.

RCP average approval in polls of voters: 49.67%.

Nancy Pelosi sees "obscene profits" in the health insurance industry. The AP sees something else:

"Health insurers posted a 2.2 percent profit margin last year, placing them 35th on the Fortune 500 list of top industries. As is typical, other health sectors did much better - drugs and medical products and services were both in the top 10.
"
The railroads brought in a 12.6 percent profit margin. Leading the list: network and other communications equipment, at 20.4 percent.

"HealthSpring, the best performer in the health insurance industry, posted 5.4 percent. That's a less profitable margin than was achieved by the makers of Tupperware, Clorox bleach and Molson and Coors beers.

"The star among the health insurance companies did, however, nose out Jack in the Box restaurants, which only achieved a 4 percent margin.

"UnitedHealth Group, reporting third quarter results last week, saw fortunes improve. It managed a 5 percent profit margin on an 8 percent growth in revenue."

jon, I agree that the swine flu has so far killed far fewer people in the U.S. than the regular seasonal flu. Swine flu killed 593 Americans from April until the end of August this year, while the seasonal flu is estimated to have killed 5,000 in that same time period.
The part that has Obama and the medical community worried is that the deaths for swine flu are occurring at a high rate in young people, whereas the seasonal flu takes a higher toll on the old, and those with serious health problems.

As for the production problems, it is very understandable. The current lab/factories that give us enormous quantities of regular flu vaccine had to essentially double their production, as the need for seasonal flu and now swine flu, plus people wising up about the need for vaccinations, led to more than doubling the amount of vaccines needed. It's not like you can fund, build and staff new labs overnight. You can't speed up the time it takes to grow the vaccine in eggs either, it biologically takes x amount of weeks to grow a batch, under controlled conditions. And for some reason we have since learned that the swine flu takes longer to grow than seasonal flu in its egg medium.
We should make sure the first millions of doses go to our most vulnerable, our youth and those with serious medical conditions and of course, our medical workers.
And everyone who can should get a seasonal flu shot, so your immune system won't be run down from fighting seasonal flu before you encounter the swine flu virus. It takes weeks to build your immune system back up after a bad flu, don't leave yourself unprotected.
And don't believe the uninformed warning about the 'untested safety' of the swine flu vaccine. These vaccines are made the same way as seasonal flu vaccines have been made for many years. They are as safe as the regular flu shot.

President Obama Job Approval

Approve/Disapprove
47/52 Rasmussen Reports
55/38 Gallup
55/43 CNN/Opinion Research
50/46 USA Today/Gallup
57/40 ABC News/Wash Post
49/45 FOX News
53/41 Marist

52.3% / 43.6% RCP Average*

*This is the REAL RealClearPolitics average. Don’t be fooled by the individual here who cherry-picks his favorite polls, calculates his own average, and then posts his handiwork here with the RCP label slapped on to it.

"You think the vaccine is being produced in government facilities?"

No. I don't think the government produces anything.

It is being produced by private citizens under contracts that were planned and let by the government with its usual efficiency Anne foresight.

Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 26, 2009 9:46:16 AM

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes, unfortunately those “private citizens” had a bit of a ‘Wall Street CEO’ mentality and forecast that they would have 120 million doses ready by now when they were awarded the ‘contract’.

But, as fate would have it, there were ‘production problems’.

Novartis, which ‘contracted’ to make 90 million vaccine doses for the US, saw a yield just one-fifth of what was expected after working with the first H1N1 virus to grow the vaccine.

So, the ‘contracted’ 120 million doses won’t be done until the the end of the year.

They said the U.S. likely won't get its entire order filled until the first part of next year.

H1N1 is not killing very many people. In fact the regular flu is killing more people than the H1N1. Of course getting the truth out of the Obama administration is like personal freedom out of Fidel Castros Cuba. The vaccine itself will cause side effects in more people than will die from the H1N1. Finally, "Never let a good crisis go to waste!!!!!" , even if it is a manufactured one.

julieterra | Oct 25, 2009 11:13:03 PM

Nonsense.

Production limitations on this vaccine would have been in play no matter who was in the White House - you're unfairly blaming and attacking the Obama administration.
----------------------------------------
I didn't suggest that another administration would have been able to get the vaccine any sooner. This administrations naivety is thinking that they could without appreciating what was involved.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 29% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -12.