For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, November 1, 2005

WASHINGTON D.C - U.S. Representative Dan Boren said today that he will support the Administration’s request for emergency funding to combat the Avian Flu (Bird Flu), a possible influenza pandemic.  Boren, who was appointed last week to a congressional panel to evaluate pandemic threats, will also push for mass production of a vaccine.   

 

Boren, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is serving on the Non-Traditional Mission and Catastrophic Disasters Gap Panel, which was created to assess U.S. military readiness to domestic and pandemic threats such as Bird Flu.  Boren says his group will make recommendations to fill any “gaps” in armed services preparedness.

 

“We’re trying to determine first, the capability of our military personnel to handle a pandemic; and second, what role they would play in the response,” Boren said.

 

“It’s important to begin preparing for this threat now.  If the Bird Flu lands in the U.S., first responders and possibly military personnel will be on the frontline,” Boren explained.   

 

Originating in Southeast Asia, Bird Flu was recently found to have spread to Canada – causing alarm that it could easily progress to the U.S. through migratory birds.  The virus is spread only through animal-to-human contact, but experts worry that it could mutate into a deadly human-to-human strain.       

 

Boren is particularly concerned about the threat Bird Flu poses to rural America if an outbreak hits the U.S.  “Rural areas could be particularly vulnerable because of limited access to specialized healthcare,” Boren said.  “It’s critical that we address the specific challenges that rural America presents in our national response plan.”

 

“As we move forward on a comprehensive strategy to address the Bird Flu threat, producing a vaccine should be our first priority,” Boren said.  “We need to return to cutting edge science in vaccine production. New methods such as ‘cell culture technology’ could make it possible to immunize every American within six months of an outbreak,” Boren said. 

 

Boren also wants to use federal funding to stockpile more antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, which can reduce the severity of the illness if taken within 48 hours of contraction.

 

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