Bush signs law to protect US from bioterrorism
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《英国医生杂志》
President George Bush last week signed into law Project BioShield to protect Americans against biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear attack. He did this a day before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States delivered its final report. The commission found missed opportunities to intercept one or more of the hijackers who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.
President Bush first proposed the project in his state of the union address in February 2003.
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, said, "With the signing of the BioShield legislation, President Bush has improved our nation抯 biopreparedness in an important way. We will now be able to quickly purchase important medical countermeasures in the event of a threat to our country. This law also sends a clear signal that the US government is prepared to be a full partner with the research community in the fight against bioterrorism." The new law will be administered jointly by his department and the Department of Homeland Security.
The new law will introduce several important changes. It will earmark $5.6bn (?bn; �4.6bn) over 10 years for countermeasures against anthrax; smallpox; and other chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. Research on and development of medical countermeasures by the National Institutes of Health will be accelerated, and a national network of eight new regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefence will be set up. The Food and Drug Administration will be able to make promising treatments speedily available in emergency situations.
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Agriculture will extend the surveillance of human, plant, and animal health and of disease by using an early warning system, Biowatch.
The strategic national stockpile of drugs and medical supplies will be increased to five times its size compared with 2001, including more antibiotics for treating exposure to anthrax, enough smallpox vaccine for every person in the United States, and more treatments for radiation poisoning and exposure to chemicals and pathogens.
The Cities Readiness Initiative will start in 21 metropolitan areas to increase the ability to deliver antibiotics effectively. Chemical antidote kits will be deployed and the rapid distribution of initial stockpile materials will be ensured.
Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, an author of the BioShield bill and spokesman for the Democratic Party, said, "Modern terrorist threats come not just from explosions, but also from silent killers such as deadly germs and chemical agents. Project BioShield creates a lifesaving partnership between our government and the private sector to develop the vaccines needed to protect our citizens from this bioterrorism. This bill could save millions of lives."
A voice of dissent came from Richard Hall, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Florida who is also a member of Governor Jeb Bush抯 task force on terrorism, a member of the American Psychiatric Association抯 committee on disaster and the editor of the association抯 disaster handbook. Dr Hall told the BMJ that $5.6bn over 10 years for countermeasures was not enough if an attack was widespread. He added that the use of Biowatch was a good first step but not fail proof.(Florida Fred Charatan)
President Bush first proposed the project in his state of the union address in February 2003.
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, said, "With the signing of the BioShield legislation, President Bush has improved our nation抯 biopreparedness in an important way. We will now be able to quickly purchase important medical countermeasures in the event of a threat to our country. This law also sends a clear signal that the US government is prepared to be a full partner with the research community in the fight against bioterrorism." The new law will be administered jointly by his department and the Department of Homeland Security.
The new law will introduce several important changes. It will earmark $5.6bn (?bn; �4.6bn) over 10 years for countermeasures against anthrax; smallpox; and other chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. Research on and development of medical countermeasures by the National Institutes of Health will be accelerated, and a national network of eight new regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefence will be set up. The Food and Drug Administration will be able to make promising treatments speedily available in emergency situations.
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Agriculture will extend the surveillance of human, plant, and animal health and of disease by using an early warning system, Biowatch.
The strategic national stockpile of drugs and medical supplies will be increased to five times its size compared with 2001, including more antibiotics for treating exposure to anthrax, enough smallpox vaccine for every person in the United States, and more treatments for radiation poisoning and exposure to chemicals and pathogens.
The Cities Readiness Initiative will start in 21 metropolitan areas to increase the ability to deliver antibiotics effectively. Chemical antidote kits will be deployed and the rapid distribution of initial stockpile materials will be ensured.
Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, an author of the BioShield bill and spokesman for the Democratic Party, said, "Modern terrorist threats come not just from explosions, but also from silent killers such as deadly germs and chemical agents. Project BioShield creates a lifesaving partnership between our government and the private sector to develop the vaccines needed to protect our citizens from this bioterrorism. This bill could save millions of lives."
A voice of dissent came from Richard Hall, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Florida who is also a member of Governor Jeb Bush抯 task force on terrorism, a member of the American Psychiatric Association抯 committee on disaster and the editor of the association抯 disaster handbook. Dr Hall told the BMJ that $5.6bn over 10 years for countermeasures was not enough if an attack was widespread. He added that the use of Biowatch was a good first step but not fail proof.(Florida Fred Charatan)