I recently pointed to the problem of bird flu hype and suggested that worrying about it will only cause more harm than good. I recommended ignoring much of what you hear in the media, no matter who is their quoted authoritative source, since everything has become so hype ridden.
I also suggested that greed is behind the attempts to whip up some hysteria about the potential pandemic. Yes, that’s right, firstly let’s be sure to note that it is only a potential pandemic. The media is giving bird flu such a beat up you could be excused for thinking it must already be sweeping the world. It isn’t.
What does seem to be spreading is an avian virus that is found almost exclusively in poultry. Yes, poultry, not people. There have been some reported cases of what appears to be the virus in people but the important facts to note are that the numbers are very small and they certainly didn’t all die.
Now here’s a very interesting and quite significant piece of news reported by Lisa Richwine for Reuters in Washington. If even one tenth of the hype surrounding the so-called bird flu pandemic was actually true, anyone could rightly expect the US government to welcome assistance in meeting the massive shortfall of antiviral medicines and vaccines. Well, that’s not what is happening. Read Lisa’s report below.
The U.S. government should allow imports of generic versions of patented medicines such as Roche AG’s Tamiflu to help the country prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic, a consumer group said on Friday.
Tamiflu currently is considered the first line of defense against the H5N1 avian flu virus that experts fear could spark a deadly, worldwide outbreak in people. Swiss firm Roche is under pressure to step up production to quickly fill orders from several countries that want to stockpile the drug.
Indian drugmaker Cipla said Friday it can produce generic versions of Tamiflu to help meet demand.
But the United States has vowed not to take advantage of world trade rules that would allow it to import generic medicines in the event of a health crisis, the Consumer Project on Technology said.
"There is no need to be constantly surprised and unprepared when such emergencies present themselves," the group said in a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative.
The U.S. government faced similar pressure to allow generic copies of a patented drug after the 2001 anthrax attacks. At that time, then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson decided against authorizing generic versions of Bayer AG’s antibiotic Cipro.
"It’s not the last time we are going to be in this situation. It’s been twice in four years," said James Love, director of the consumer group.
The drug industry has vigorously fought efforts to permit generic copies of drugs under patent in any circumstance.
Billy Tauzin, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said such a step "would take away incentives for other companies to undertake the difficult and costly work of searching for new antivirals and vaccines for this possible health crisis."
"The work being done by America’s pharmaceutical research companies is the greatest hope of finding additional treatments and a vaccine for avian flu, and policy measures should be developed to encourage these efforts, not discourage them," Tauzin said in a statement.
Tamiflu has been effective at fighting H5N1, although researchers said Friday the virus was showing signs that it could evade the drug.
Some experts also caution that it will be difficult for generic companies to make copies of Tamiflu.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Emphasis by bold type in the above was added by me. Now, don’t you find it interesting that the government only wants to support US pharmaceutical business? Surely, if there was a genuine risk to the health of the population and such a serious risk of death for millions of Americans, such financial advantage would take second place. Just like the government used scaremongering about anthrax for political gain, so it uses scaremongering about bird flu. If it achieves nothing else, it does at least keep attention away from other serious shortcomings in government policy, sich as involvement in Iraq.
It would appear that motivation for inflaming the hype surrounding so-called bird flu boils down to political and financial gain. Continue to work on improving your general health and immune status and try to ignore the media madness. And again, be very cautious before agreeing to vaccination.
More reports lately have quietly emphasized the merely potential nature of the over hyped, so-called bird flu.
For example, Reuters’, Washington Oct 18, report of health experts’ appeal to help deal with the world’s children’s health needs quoted Dr. Nils Daulaire, president and chief executive officer of the Global Health Council, as saying “We can’t do anything about stopping avian flu if it comes in the next two years.” Notice the “if” and the time frame. Far from the hyped reports recently that would have you believe that it was a certainty and almost upon us.
Talking of avian infuenza, the report goes on to say: “If it becomes a human disease, it has the potential to kill millions or tens of millions of people within a few months.” Notice the “if” and the word “potential”.
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Dr Peter Tylee
Editor