National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic

[Treyfish]

Report: National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic

Wednesday, May 09, 2007
WASHINGTON ? Military and civilian health facilities will be overwhelmed if a nationwide flu pandemic hits the United States, and the National Guard may have to be called out to provide medical help and even enforce a quarantine, the Defense Department warned in a report released Wednesday.
As the Pentagon fights criticism from congressional Democrats that the war in Iraq is depleting the National Guard's ability to help out in domestic crises, the 86-page report says a possible pandemic could require National Guard assistance in supplying medical aid or isolating groups of people to minimize further spread of the disease.
About 3 million people could die as a result of a possible pandemic, with up to 35 percent of the population falling ill, reads the report dated August 2006 and titled "The Department of Defense Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza."
According to the report, in the event of a pandemic or a bioterror attack, the Defense Department may be called by the president to assist civilian authorities in minimizing the spread of disease by placing restrictions on interstate transportation. Jurisdictions, the report adds, would be overwhelmed and unable to provide essential commodities and services. In addition, the nation will not be able to rely on airlines.
(
The report comes on the heels of complaints that the Guardsmen have been spread too thin to respond to a tornado that wiped out 95 percent of Greensburg, Kan. on Sunday.<SNIP>Story continues below) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271057,00.html

[Thornton]

Re: National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic

I went to the Foxnews source and they cite two references. One is a "report released Wednesday," and the other is

report dated August 2006 and titled "The Department of Defense Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza."

The August 2006 Report is then quoted extensively but I cannot find exactly where an official Department of Defense document from this week specifically cites the National Guard's role in pandemic quarantine.

Other sources have pointed out the difficulty the Guard has with hurricanes and tornados. Pandemics are different.

Dr. Donald Henderson, has argued that all efforts should be made to work with the public for disease control and not rely on a quarantine strategy.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-8633.html

JT

[Treyfish]

Re: National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic

DOD helps prepare U.S. for pandemic flu outbreak
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by Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

5/9/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) -- The Defense Department is teaming with other federal agencies to prepare the nation to deal with a potential pandemic outbreak of influenza, a senior official said May 8 here.

"Right now, we're as ready as we can be at this point," said Richard Chavez, director of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear preparedness and response at the department.

The Defense Department is rolling out its Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan to the public today, part of the president's initiative to prepare the nation for a potential mass outbreak of deadly influenza virus or other threats. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England signed off on the defense department's portion of the interagency plan in August 2006.

"What we want to do is get information out to the public so that we don't create panic, but do provide them with the proper level of information," Mr. Chavez said, noting the defense department works closely with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies.

The plan includes information on how people can help curtail the spread and mitigate the effects of a possible flu pandemic, Mr. Chavez said.

Pandemic flu is a fast-spreading human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness that could sicken or kill hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people, according to the U.S. government's pandemic flu Web site. For example, the 1918 flu epidemic killed millions of Americans.

Mr. Chavez said the Defense Department also teams with the U.S. departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other groups to monitor possible pandemic-causing maladies such as the avian, or bird, flu.

One bird-flu virus in particular, known as H5N1, is especially deadly to fowl. It can be spread to humans, who have no natural immunity to it. More than 170 people worldwide have died from avian flu, according to the World Health Organization.

One of the main pillars of the national plan to confront a pandemic outbreak of influenza is containment, Mr. Chavez said. Containment of an outbreak of potentially deadly avian flu or other illnesses is predicated on early detection and action, he emphasized.

"If it starts with the avian vector, which is the poultry right now, we can identify the farms that are affected (and) cull the birds before they have the chance to infect other birds and animals," Mr. Chavez said.

Another component of the plan, he noted, involves research and development and stockpiling of appropriate anti-viral vaccines and other medicines.

U.S. officials also have conducted extensive interviews with medical experts in Singapore on how they successfully dealt with the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, epidemic that occurred worldwide between November 2002 and July 2003, Mr. Chavez said.

Incorporating such lessons learned from other countries "is all part of the process" in preparing the United States to respond to a potential pandemic outbreak, Mr. Chavez said. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123052599

[gsgs]

Re: National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic

I assume new local military/guard/police units will be formed
in a severe pandemic to surveille isolations,quarantine,
protective sequestration,Tamiflu+vaccine distribution, black market.

[Thornton]

Re: National Guard May Be Needed to Enforce Quarantine in Flu Pandemic

Treyfish thanks for the source report on the Wednesday document.
In my opinion Fox news mixed up 2 different issues and confused them. Containment of a disease outbreak is different from a military enforced quarantine of people. The National Guard could have a huge role in maintaining infrastructure (if funded and expanded as pointed out be gsgs).
jt