Senate Influenza Hearing Opens

The outbreak of North American Influenza has centered in Mexico but there have been 47 confirmed cases in five U.S. states and additional possible cases are being analyzed. Many are already calling this a flu pandemic because this is a virus for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. And it is capable of human-to-human transmission.

In opening a Senate committee hearing on the flu situation, Iowa senator Tom Harkin said - the current swine flu virus is, obviously, a different virus. Like H5N1, it is one for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. However, unlike H5N1, this H1N1 flu virus is capable of human-to-human transmission.

Harkin declared, - our past investments in pandemic preparedness are paying off in this outbreak. We have been able to improve surveillance, which may have played a part in recognizing some of these early cases. We have stockpiled antivirals and other medical supplies which are now being transported to other parts of the country to help local governments’ respond to the current outbreak. We have strengthened the capacity of CDC to respond and we have moved forward in developing this country’s capacity to quickly produce vaccine in response to a pandemic.