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New Avian Flu Coordinator Grossly Overstates Possible Death Toll First Day In Office

by Open-Publishing - Wednesday 5 October 2005
1 comment

International Health

WHO Backs Away From 150 Million Flu Deaths
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday 2-7.4 million deaths was a reasonable working forecast for a global influenza pandemic — distancing itself from a top UN official’s figure of up to 150 million.

Dr. David Nabarro, named on Thursday as the UN coordinator for global readiness against an outbreak, had said that the world response would determine whether a flu virus ends up killing 5 million or as many as 150 million.

"There is obvious confusion, and I think that has to be straightened out. I don’t think you will hear Dr. Nabarro say the same sort of thing again," WHO influenza spokesman Dick Thompson told a news briefing.

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewss...

Alarming bird-flu forecast retracted
The World Health Organization moved Friday to revise startling predictions that a pandemic stemming from the bird-flu virus ravaging parts of Asia could kill as many as 150 million people.

The U.N. health agency was deluged with inquiries after Dr. David Nabarro - named Thursday as the U.N. coordinator for avian and human influenza - cited the number during a news conference at the U.N.’s New York headquarters.

WHO’s flu spokesman at the agency’s Geneva headquarters did not say the 150 million prediction was wrong, but he emphasized that 7.4 million deaths is a more realistic estimate.

Scientists have made predictions ranging from less than 2 million to 360 million.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/ml...

Bird virus toll scare: 150 million deaths `unlikely’

The UN health agency fielded inquiries from the media and members of the public yesterday after David Nabarro, the new UN co-ordinator for avian and human influenza, made the statement at a news conference at the UN’s New York headquarters.

On Friday, WHO’s flu spokesman at the agency’s Geneva headquarters made a surprise appearance at a media briefing to put Dr Nabarro’s comments in context.

While he did not say the 150 million prediction was wrong, or even implausible, he reiterated that WHO considered a maximum death toll of 7.4 million a more likely forecast.

http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/...

Senate approves $4 billion to prepare for flu pandemic
The US Senate voted yesterday to provide $4 billion for antiviral drugs and other measures to prepare for a feared influenza pandemic, but whether the measure would clear Congress was uncertain.

The Senate attached the measure to a $440 billion defense-spending bill for 2006, according to the Associated Press (AP)...

Almost $3.1 billion of the money would be used to stockpile the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu), and the rest would go for global flu surveillance, development of vaccines, and state and local preparedness, according to a Reuters report. The government currently has enough oseltamivir to treat a few million people, with a goal of acquiring enough to treat 20 million...
(Finland has told drug companies in Europe it wants to buy 5.2 million doses of an avian flu vaccine, enough to protect its whole population, according to an AFP report today. The Finnish government has asked legislators to provide 21 million euros ($25 million) for the vaccine stockpile)

At a news conference today, WHO spokesman Dick Thompson said pandemic toll predictions are "guesswork" and that Nabarro was just suggesting the range of expert opinion on the subject.

But he(Dick Thompson) also said the WHO believes the estimate of 2 million to 7.4 million deaths, based on a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "is the most reasoned position," according to a Reuters report.

As quoted by AFP, Thompson also told reporters, "We can’t be dragged into further scare-mongering."
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...

Is it possible that someone is using the Avian bird flu for their own purposes? Bush wants to use it to get rid of Posse Comitatus, and it appears that congress is using it to give a gift to the pharmaceutical companies. While congress is allocating 3.1 billion to treat 20 million people, Finland is paying 25 million to treat 5 million.

Forum posts

  • According to the spiegel magazine the already have recreated another dangerous agent in order to do research: the spanish flu. Now as we know, what already escaped from American laboratories, it is getting really scary.