glog-3033

Swine Flu

The current outbreak of swine flu is a sobering reminder that our nation faces a wide variety of threats. While post-9/11 realities require us to be vigilant about intentional biological attacks, naturally occurring biological events would yield equally devastating consequences. A human-influenza pandemic like that of 1918 could be just such an event. The World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert level to Phase 5. For perspective, Phase 4 reflects sustained human-to-human transmissibility; Phase 5 reflects human-to-human transmission into at least two countries in one WHO region; and Phase 6 is a full-blown pandemic event in which community outbreaks occur in multiple regions. Given the continuing spread and increasing risk, we must ask a critical question: Is our nation prepared to combat this naturally occurring threat if indeed it reaches Phase 6 proportions? Make no mistake: A pandemic would assuredly have significant health consequences. However, it would just as certainly create myriad other consequences: economic, diplomatic, and matters of national security among them. It would also present complex policy questions and operational issues that cross all levels of government.