ASBA Update From Washington

As an ASBA member, you now have free access to news and updates on important issues from our legislative team in Washington DC.

September 2007
by James C. Musser, ASBA Washington Representative

With summer behind us, it is not too early to start thinking about the approaching flu season. As difficult as the normal flu season is for many people, especially the very young and the elderly, we may soon be facing an even more dangerous health threat in the form of pandemic flu. The federal and state governments are taking steps to prepare for a flu pandemic and individuals can take steps to help protect themselves too.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines seasonal flu as a respiratory illness that can be transmitted person to person. Most people have some immunity, and a vaccine is available. This is also known as the common flu or winter flu. This is the type of influenza that we hear about each year when public health officials urge the most vulnerable members of the public to get a flu shot.

Pandemic flu, however, poses a much greater threat because unlike the seasonal flu there is no commercially available vaccine and little or no human immunity exists. A pandemic outbreak means that huge numbers of people are affected all over the world because the disease spreads easily from person to person allowing it to sweep across the country and around the world in a short period of time. Experts estimate that millions of people worldwide could die much like in the Spanish flu outbreak that swept the world in the early part of the Twentieth Century. Currently there is no pandemic flu but health authorities are concerned that the highly virulent H5N1 strain of avian flu may mutate into a pandemic flu.

The federal and state governments are taking steps now to prepare for a potential pandemic. Congress has appropriated funds to pay for planning, establishing or enhancing stocks of medical supplies and equipment, and to develop alternative treatment facilities should hospitals become overwhelmed by the number of sick people. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt recently announced that his department is making an additional $75 million available to the states for these purposes. These funds supplement $430 million that Congress had provided earlier this year to increase the ability of hospitals and other health facilities to deal with infectious diseases, bio-terror attacks or other disasters that could cause mass civilian casualties. HHS is also working via its National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop a vaccine.

At the recent summit of the leaders of North America, President Bush, Prime Minister Harper of Canada and President Calderon of Mexico announced a North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Flu. Their goal is to coordinate the efforts of the three countries to prevent or slow the entry of the disease into North America and, should it arrive, to detect and control any outbreak of avian flu and prevent its transmission to humans. The three leaders hope to coordinate their efforts to minimize illness and death and to sustain the economy of the continent.

In a flu pandemic, advanced preparation is a key element to survival. Society may face days or weeks when normal business and transportation are disrupted and having a plan can reduce the amount of difficulty an individual faces. Plan ahead by stockpiling enough non-perishable food to last two weeks. Keep a small amount of cash on hand since banks could be closed or power disrupted preventing the use of ATMs and credit cards. Keep aspirin, ibuprofen and other over-the-counter drugs on hand to treat symptoms. For a more extensive checklist of things individuals can do to prepare for a pandemic flu emergency see: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/checklists.html

ASBA closely monitors all the issues affecting seniors and small business owners. Check back each month for the latest from our nation's capital.

James C. Musser, Esq. is a legislative consultant based in Falls Church, Virginia. His reports are updated monthly.