President Bush put the bird flu firmly on the public radar this week, warning of a potential epidemic and saying he wants to use the military to enforce quarantines if an outbreak erupts.
It’s the second time the president has suggested the military take over domestic civilian responsibility in an inappropriate way, but Tuesday’s comment was especially troubling because it showed confusion regarding the true nature of the potential flu threat.
The World Health Organization and Asia’s public health agencies have battled an influenza that has killed millions of birds, infected more than 100 humans with poultry virus and killed more than 60 people. Experts fear the virus could mutate and start spreading from person to person, creating a global epidemic. In 1918, a similar flu killed 20 million people, including 550,000 in the United States.
A prototype vaccine exists, but it’s unclear if it would be effective against new strains or if enough could be produced to quell a pandemic.
The virus certainly has invaded political debate. Thirty-three Senate Democrats, including Colorado’s Ken Salazar, sent Bush a letter expressing “grave concern that the nation is dangerously unprepared for the serious threat of avian influenza.” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said no nation is ready for a pandemic. Today, experts from 65 countries meet to discuss responses if bird flu spreads.
The military could support civilian efforts by, for example, protecting vaccine shipments. Quarantine enforcement would be a different matter. Quarantines are really effective only in an outbreak’s early stages and usually are initiated by state authorities responding to information from front-line professionals such as doctors and hospitals. It’s the civilian health system’s ability to recognize and respond early that’s key.
Politicians concerned about bird flu would be wise to focus on ensuring proper resources and coordination for agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Public Health Service. It’s also important to fund development and production of effective vaccines and cooperate in international efforts.
The Army might stop Americans from traveling by blockading our cities. Meanwhile, birds could flock overhead, spreading the flu wherever they land. People also can carry a virus for days before showing symptoms, and could be hundreds of miles away by the time the president sent in the Marines.
If an epidemic erupts, America won’t need military checkpoints nearly so much as public health nurses armed with vaccines and anti-viral drugs.
