Flu Drill

The US Government had a flu drill to see how prepared everybody isn't.

resident Bush's homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend said that in the little time left before lawmakers adjourn for the year, Congress should approve the $7.1 billion in emergency flu preparedness funds that the president has requested.

But the prospects for the request are not clear, as conservatives in the House oppose rubber-stamping it without finding spending cuts elsewhere in the budget. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has advocated for the money.

Yay PorkBusters!

If this is really a need, and their predictions of worst case 90 million Americans getting this flu if it finally jumps to human-human transmission are true, I don't think now is the time to predicate funds on fighting over cuts. It would take them 6 months before they announce that they can't agree on a GD thing and we'd all be coughing up our lungs.

Another note, I picked up the flu here in Feb of this year. I have no idea what strain it was but it definitely was not one I'd ever had before. My temperature soared to a point above the measurement on the thermometer strips we are issued. I was delirious and at one point actually pondered a dire outcome. I attributed that fear to the fever. I simply could not think clearly after a certain point.

My point is, whatever that flu strain was, even though it wasn't Avian, it kicked my butt. I would imagine it could have done serious damage to an older or more frail person. With a 50% mortality rate, if this mutation they are anticipating happens in the near future, it isn't going to be pretty.