[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11818-S11819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          THE AVIAN INFLUENZA

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I rise to express my concern about 
avian influenza and America's preparedness for a global pandemic. While 
I do not want to add to people's fears about this issue, reports of the 
lethality of the H5N1 strain must be taken seriously and we need to 
make sure that we are taking appropriate measures to prepare for a 
possible pandemic.
  As we all well know, migratory birds are steadily carrying the avian 
flu virus from throughout Southeast Asia and Siberia to Romania, 
Turkey, and now Greece. International health officials predicted that 
this spread could happen, and it should be no surprise that this 
disease is taking this course. In the 20th century alone, three 
influenza pandemics swept throughout the world, most notably the 1918 
flu pandemic, which took 500,000 lives. Our knowledge of disease and 
hygiene has improved dramatically since then, and our ability to ready 
ourselves has subsequently advanced, but our risk for a pandemic 
remains a danger.
  Scientists and public health officials throughout the world have 
warned that a flu pandemic will take place, have alerted governments to 
the possibility of pandemic through the avian flu, and have watched as 
little has been done to prepare for the occurrence. Despite the 
warnings of the inevitability of pandemic, research into influenza 
vaccine and therapy has been continually underfunded, as have our 
programs that would provide emergency health care relief in a time of 
crisis. Hurricane Katrina illustrated our lack of preparedness for a 
true disaster, and the Government's failure to quickly bring relief to 
our friends along the gulf coast should send a resounding message that 
we must better prepare for an

[[Page S11819]]

emergency in the future. That emergency could well be the avian flu 
pandemic. Let us not be caught unaware. While there is no guarantee 
that this will occur this winter, next winter, or even the year after 
that, scientists tell us that it is only a matter of time, and we 
should use that time to build our stockpiles of vaccines and medicines, 
and to support global initiatives to help prevent the spread of the 
disease through containment strategies and alerts.
  Although the avian flu does not yet transmit from human to human, 
this type of virus is capable of rapidly mutating and becoming highly 
infectious among people. With the seasonal flu season approaching, the 
risk of a human strain emerging increases, as the opportunity for the 
virus to drift among species and mutate is augmented. If a pandemic 
ensued, the threat would obviously not be distributed evenly across the 
population. The young and elderly would be at most risk, as would 
immunocompromised people and people suffering from malnutrition and 
inadequate basic health services. We know this, we are aware of the 
problems, and we must take action to ensure the health and safety of 
the most vulnerable. Guaranteeing safety means taking responsibility 
for all of our communities' responses and plans.
  I am pleased that I was able to join many of my colleagues in sending 
a letter to President Bush on October 4, 2005, that urged the 
administration to release a finalized Pandemic Influenza Response and 
Preparedness Plan, which the World Health Organization has deemed 
essential to planning a strategy in the case of a global pandemic. I am 
eagerly waiting for this plan to be released, as I believe it is of 
extreme importance to the American people. I am also pleased that the 
Senate approved a measure to add $3.9 billion to the Defense 
Department's budget for the purchase of vaccines and medicines to treat 
avian flu, and I hope to see the House agree to this in conference. 
This was an important measure to help prepare Americans, particularly 
those most vulnerable, against the ravages of a fatal disease.
  While we do not know when or where this pandemic may develop, we must 
work to prepare now.

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