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U.S. Response: Experts Debate U.S. Ability to Respond to BW Attack The United States is not fully prepared to respond to a biological terrorist attack, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told a U.S. Senate hearing yesterday, but he added that Americans should not panic (see GSN, Oct. 1). “Let me characterize our status this way: We are prepared to respond, but there is more we can do – and must do – to strengthen our response,” he said. (Click here to read Thompson’s opening statement.) Thompson said the public should be “rational.” “People should not be scared into believing they need to buy gas masks. And people should not be frightened into hoarding medicine and food. There is nothing we know of to warrant such action,” he said (Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 4). Thompson said his department could quickly contain and treat an outbreak. “I am absolutely assured we could respond to any contingency,” he said (Lauran Neergaard, Salon.com, Oct. 3). Other experts and senators, however, said Thompson overestimated the U.S. ability to respond to a biological attack. “I just don’t believe that,” Senator Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) said of Thompson’s testimony. Tara O’Toole, head of the Defense Science Board’s task force on biological weapons, told a U.S. House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Defense hearing that biological terrorism is the most serious terrorist threat to the United States. She said even an unsophisticated release of smallpox could kill tens of thousands of people. Other experts said severe gaps exist in the public health system’s abilities to deal with a massive outbreak of smallpox, anthrax or other potential diseases resulting from an attack. Rex Archer of the Kansas City Health Department estimated that the system needs about 15,000 more people (Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 4). Leaders of several Defense Department task forces said the United States is unprepared for a variety of possible terrorist attacks, including chemical and biological attacks. Preparations Underway Thompson said the government has sped up development of a smallpox vaccine that was already ordered. Originally, the 40 million doses were to be ready by 2004 or 2005, but now Thompson expects them by the middle of 2002 (Larry Lipman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Oct. 4). Thompson is also asking for an additional $800 million to increase the health system’s ability to respond to an attack, focusing on training physicians and laboratories to recognize symptoms of diseases that could be caused by an intentional release (Salon.com, Oct. 3). Two bipartisan Senate teams introduced legislation that would provide an additional $1.4 billion to $1.6 billion to protect the United States from biological attacks (MSNBC, Oct. 3). Recommended Steps O’Toole’s task force recommended three new programs. One program would be the creation of a “bio-print” database to store data on the molecular structure of biological agents and where in the world they are known to be available. The database could help authorities track terrorists who released a biological weapon. She also urged diagnostic tests that could identify a biological agent much faster than the current 12 hours to several days that such tests currently require. Authorities should also create a computerized network that would use diagnostic test results to detect a pattern of diseases. O’Toole said these programs would take over five years to establish and cost about $3.5 billion. She suggested the programs be implemented in the Defense Department and eventually shared with other agencies (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Oct. 4). She also suggested the United States improve physician training and stockpile vaccines (Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 4). There are 27 bioterrorism response teams in the United States (Brian Peters, Lewiston Morning Tribune, Oct. 3).
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