State urges Vermonters to prepare for pandemic
The Vermont Department of Health is urging residents to prepare for a possible worldwide flu pandemic by stocking their pantries with enough food to stay home for two weeks. People should buy things like dried foods that have a long shelf life, said Health Commissioner Wendy Davis. "The idea behind that is [...]
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It shouldn't be out of left field because the threat never stopped.
ReplyDeleteWe've been a pandemic alert period for at least years - during which time businesses and families were supposed to be preparing.
Unfortunately the media seems to have lost interest, and state and local planners aren't stressing the importance of preparedness.
The H5N1 virus keeps moving through Asia, Europe, The Middle East and Africa.
The fatality rate worldwide is over 60%.
There has been human-to-human transmission, and the virus is mutating and acquring the changes necessary to cause sustained human-to-human transmission. When that happens there will be a pandemic.
We have no immunity to the virus.
There is no vaccine. It will take at least 6 to 9 months after a pandemic begins to have the first batches of vaccine. At that time we will have a small amount of vaccine which will be given to healthcare workers, first responders, etc.
One wave of the pandemic could last for 3 months or longer.
--starlight
Good points, well said. Thanks for the comment!
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