Tweet
Source: http://www.federalnewsradio.com/inde...35&sid=1670164
Former HHS Secretary Leavitt posits on pandemic prep
May 6, 2009 - 1:49pm
Former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt
Click to hear the interview
Download mp3
By Dorothy Ramienski
Internet Editor
FederalNewsRadio
"A pandemic is nature's terrorist. It is a very significant event and they happen. We've had three in the last 100 years; we've had ten of them in the last 300 years. There's no reason to believe that this century will be different than those past."
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt knows a bit about preparing for a pandemic.
He was Secretary from 2005 - 2009 under President George W. Bush and raised the alarm about the avian flu when it first became a threat in 2006.
Leavitt says he feels confident about the federal government's response to the so-called swine flu so far.
"It was rewarding, I think, and heartening to our country to see that good preparation does pay off. . . . I thought they did an incredible job in exercising the plans that have been laid forward. The professional career employees who have been there all along, obviously, had the full capacity to provide continuity."
He tells FederalNewsRadio that the response played out exactly as he had envisioned it while he was Secretary at HHS.
He does note, however, that there is no way to prepare for everything.
"We've exercised it so many times, we know that, the further you get into a pandemic, the more likely it is to break down. That's just the nature of an emergency. The more complex it becomes, the more spontaneity that's required . . . there are more ways that the plan begins to show weakness."
No response could be perfect, Leavitt says, no matter who is in charge.
"There are areas where we still have weakness -- and we still have some threat. The H1N1 virus is currently appearing to be not as serious as one might have worried it could be; however, in most pandemics, the second wave, which will typically happen in the fall, is stronger."
Leavitt says now is the time to remain vigilant.
He also cautions against worrying that officials overreacted.
In his opinion, he says, the federal government showed prudence in its quick response.
"The problem with pandemics is that anything you say in advance seems alarmist and anything you have said after it begins to unfold would be inadequate."
The former HHS secretary says pandemics are like any other unexpected event, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks: being prepare and taking preemptive action is always better.
In addition, Leavitt praises the international effort to prevent the spread of the disease.
"I think Mexico responded far better than they would have three years ago. I think we have to credit them with having responded quickly. They responded to protocols we've all worked on. We've exercised pandemic preparedness on the borders, for example."
That's not to say everything was perfect.
As with any incident, hindsight is always 20/20, as Leavitt acknowledges, "I think speed of being able to develop credible results can be improved."
He also says one of the most productive aspects to come out of this latest scare had to do with discussions concerning actions not taken.
"I think we worked through some important conversations. It's inevitable that people would begin to talk about closing the borders. That's an argument of the uninformed, but it's one that's natural to have. We need to continue to educate.
Leavitt also stresses the need to look closely and carefully at lessons learned.
"I think it's also important to recognize some of the more vulnerable parts of our plan. Distribution, for example. We were able to deliver stockpiled materials to a number of different places, but we didn't have to distribute them, and distribution is where the weakness, I think, will be revealed."
In addition to looking at lessons learned, Leavitt says incorporating them into future rehearsals of any pandemic response is a must.
During his tenure, he notes, HHS and other federal agencies would routinely conduct different scenarios until their plans failed.
"It always broke down -- and the execution of a plan in a real emergency is inevitably to break down. The question becomes, how quickly can you adapt?"
One of the biggest challenges, Leavitt says, doesn't even involve federal agencies or employees. Often, keeping the public calm while making sure they stay informed presents the biggest problem.
"It is a fine line. Let's just acknowledge it. We have to talk about it in clear, thoughtful, informative ways, always recognizing what the limitations are."
---
On the Web:
Leavitt Partners -- Home page
HHS -- (Swine) Flu InvestigationH1N1
CDC -- H1N1 Swine Flu
DHS -- Department Response to H1N1 (Swine) Flu
(Copyright 2009 by FederalNewsRadio.com. All Rights Reserved.)
Former HHS Secretary Leavitt posits on pandemic prep
May 6, 2009 - 1:49pm
Former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt
Click to hear the interview
Download mp3
By Dorothy Ramienski
Internet Editor
FederalNewsRadio
"A pandemic is nature's terrorist. It is a very significant event and they happen. We've had three in the last 100 years; we've had ten of them in the last 300 years. There's no reason to believe that this century will be different than those past."
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt knows a bit about preparing for a pandemic.
He was Secretary from 2005 - 2009 under President George W. Bush and raised the alarm about the avian flu when it first became a threat in 2006.
Leavitt says he feels confident about the federal government's response to the so-called swine flu so far.
"It was rewarding, I think, and heartening to our country to see that good preparation does pay off. . . . I thought they did an incredible job in exercising the plans that have been laid forward. The professional career employees who have been there all along, obviously, had the full capacity to provide continuity."
He tells FederalNewsRadio that the response played out exactly as he had envisioned it while he was Secretary at HHS.
He does note, however, that there is no way to prepare for everything.
"We've exercised it so many times, we know that, the further you get into a pandemic, the more likely it is to break down. That's just the nature of an emergency. The more complex it becomes, the more spontaneity that's required . . . there are more ways that the plan begins to show weakness."
No response could be perfect, Leavitt says, no matter who is in charge.
"There are areas where we still have weakness -- and we still have some threat. The H1N1 virus is currently appearing to be not as serious as one might have worried it could be; however, in most pandemics, the second wave, which will typically happen in the fall, is stronger."
Leavitt says now is the time to remain vigilant.
He also cautions against worrying that officials overreacted.
In his opinion, he says, the federal government showed prudence in its quick response.
"The problem with pandemics is that anything you say in advance seems alarmist and anything you have said after it begins to unfold would be inadequate."
The former HHS secretary says pandemics are like any other unexpected event, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks: being prepare and taking preemptive action is always better.
In addition, Leavitt praises the international effort to prevent the spread of the disease.
"I think Mexico responded far better than they would have three years ago. I think we have to credit them with having responded quickly. They responded to protocols we've all worked on. We've exercised pandemic preparedness on the borders, for example."
That's not to say everything was perfect.
As with any incident, hindsight is always 20/20, as Leavitt acknowledges, "I think speed of being able to develop credible results can be improved."
He also says one of the most productive aspects to come out of this latest scare had to do with discussions concerning actions not taken.
"I think we worked through some important conversations. It's inevitable that people would begin to talk about closing the borders. That's an argument of the uninformed, but it's one that's natural to have. We need to continue to educate.
Leavitt also stresses the need to look closely and carefully at lessons learned.
"I think it's also important to recognize some of the more vulnerable parts of our plan. Distribution, for example. We were able to deliver stockpiled materials to a number of different places, but we didn't have to distribute them, and distribution is where the weakness, I think, will be revealed."
In addition to looking at lessons learned, Leavitt says incorporating them into future rehearsals of any pandemic response is a must.
During his tenure, he notes, HHS and other federal agencies would routinely conduct different scenarios until their plans failed.
"It always broke down -- and the execution of a plan in a real emergency is inevitably to break down. The question becomes, how quickly can you adapt?"
One of the biggest challenges, Leavitt says, doesn't even involve federal agencies or employees. Often, keeping the public calm while making sure they stay informed presents the biggest problem.
"It is a fine line. Let's just acknowledge it. We have to talk about it in clear, thoughtful, informative ways, always recognizing what the limitations are."
---
On the Web:
Leavitt Partners -- Home page
HHS -- (Swine) Flu InvestigationH1N1
CDC -- H1N1 Swine Flu
DHS -- Department Response to H1N1 (Swine) Flu
(Copyright 2009 by FederalNewsRadio.com. All Rights Reserved.)