Thursday, January 12, 2006

Flu Season?

The US government has a new website up dealing with a possible outbreak of pandemic flu and avian influenza. The site, called Pandemicflu.gov, is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, but I hear that it was designed by the Department of Homeland Security for them. There are several pages aimed at different kinds of users, Federal Government, State and Local Governments, Individuals and Families, Schools and so on. The page for individuals and families discusses several topics such as: Social Disruption May Be Widespread; Being Able to Work May Be Difficult or Impossible; Schools May Be Closed for an Extended Period of Time.

It is good that the government is making plans before an epidemic or pandemic breaks out, but given their usual policy of "talk much - do little or nothing until its too late - then go into CYA mode and blame everybody else" I have to wonder if they don't know something specific. I mean we keep hearing from all the "voices of reason" that another flu pandemic like the one in 1918 (that killed more people than WWI) can't happen again. Then Homeland Security puts up a website called "Pandemicflu" and gets HHS to front it.

You gotta wonder. . .