Republicans block flu shots

Pandemic fears escalate
Gerard Aziakou in New York
01oct05

THE United Nations yesterday announced plans to ratchet up its battle plan for an expected human bird flu pandemic that could kill up to 150 million people, naming a special co-ordinator to lead a global strategy to contain it.

UN chief Kofi Annan appointed David Nabarro, a Briton who is one of the leading World Health Organisation's public health experts, as senior UN co-ordinator for avian and human influenza.

"We expect the next (human) influenza pandemic to come at any time. It is likely to be caused by a mutant of the virus that is currently causing bird flu in Asia," Mr Nabarro told reporters. "The avian flu epidemic has to be controlled if we are to prevent a human influenza pandemic."

His statement and the UN's announcement coincided with the US Senate passing legislation to add $US4 billion ($5.3 billion) to the US fight against deadly bird flu by stocking up on anti-viral drugs and increasing global surveillance of the disease.

The provision, which was attached to an unrelated fiscal 2006 spending Bill for the military, faces an uncertain future in the House of Representatives.

The Senate vote came as international organisations urged the US and other nations to be more wary of a bird flu outbreak.

Senator Ted Stevens – an Alaskan Republican shepherding the defence spending Bill through the Senate – said he would try to block the bird flu provision. His next opportunity will be when Senate and House negotiators meet to work out a compromise on the defence spending Bill. That meeting has not been set.

Bird flu among flocks in Asia has been growing for several years and outbreaks have been spotted in parts of Russia. So far, 65 people in Asia who are thought to have had close contact with infected birds have died since 2003.

Scientists fear a mutation of its H5N1 virus could make it transmissible among humans, sparking a worldwide epidemic that could kill millions of people.

"It's the midnight hour. We have to get moving on it now, not next year, not after some study group in the White House bangs this thing around for another three months," said Senator Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat.

Senator Harkin – with the backing of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat – wants the Government to spend nearly $US3.1 billion to stockpile enough doses for half the US population. He said there were only two million doses on hand now, enough for 1 per cent of the population.

Two anti-viral drugs have been shown to ease bird-flu symptoms and possibly prevent it. Switzerland's Roche Holding AG makes Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, and GlaxoSmithKline makes Relenza, or zanamivir.

It is unclear how quickly pharmaceutical firms could fill a US order for about 150 million doses.

Under the Senate plan, other funds would be used to increase global surveillance of the disease, increase spending on a vaccine and help states and cities prepare for a large outbreak.

Senator Stevens argued that bird flu "has not yet become a threat to human beings", adding: "We ought to wait for the scientists to tell us what needs to be done."

A UN official said a worldwide drive would be launched to combat a pandemic that could kill half of those infected.

Reuters