Chairman Liner Holds Joint Hearing on Combating Pandemic Flu

CHAIRMAN LINDER HOLDS JOINT HEARING ON COMBATING PANDEMIC FLU

Washington, D.C. - Washington, D.C.- Today Congressman John Linder (R-GA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, held a joint hearing with the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science, and Technology of the Committee on Homeland Security entitled "Protecting the Homeland: Fighting Pandemic Flu from the Front Lines."

"Today, the possibility exists that the world will face another deadly outbreak, this time from an avian influenza strain known as H5N1. Though the virus has not yet evolved into a form that is easily transmissible between humans, should it acquire that capability and be as virulent as the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, estimates show that the effects would be devastating. Once we are successful in implementing local, state, and Federal strategies to combat this threat, our nation will be better equipped to face the threat of biological terrorism."

A pandemic occurs when a new strain of influenza emerges that can be easily transmitted from person to person and for which there is little or no natural immunity. Unlike seasonal flu, in which the strain reappears periodically, most people have not built up resistance to a novel pandemic strain and it can kill those who are young and healthy as well as those who are frail and sick.

The hearing today focused on understanding pandemic influenza, its potential impacts, and a national strategy for combating pandemics. Several witnesses testified before the Subcommittee on the need to increase Federal resources and raise public awareness to help everyone better understand the impacts of a pandemic and the intricacies of dealing with an outbreak.

"The goal of this government is to first stop, slow, or otherwise limit the spread of a pandemic to the United States; second, to limit the domestic spread of a pandemic and mitigate disease, suffering, and death; and, third, to sustain infrastructure and mitigate the impact of a pandemic to both the economy and society. I thank our witnesses for their insights today and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House, the Senate, and the Executive Branch to implement much-needed countermeasures and initiatives in the coming months."

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