Scary stuff

Last night, on ABC's Nightline with Ted Koppel, Senators Frist(R, TN) and Reid(D, NV) discussed the possibility of the feared panedemic like the one experienced in 1918, following the First World War. Alarm bells are sounding. The WHO is trying to allay fears by predicting only 7.4 million deaths, but would not say the prediction of 150 million by David Nabarro, of the UN is a far-fetched prediction. I personally suffered from the flu last winter for over a week and thought I was gonna die(not really, but I sure felt like it). I've been meaning to read the latest books about the 1918 pandemic, not that historical information would matter. My grandfather was an infant that year, but he survived (still alive, thank the Lord). There's no time for a vaccine if the avian flu reached us now(6-9 months minimum for HALF the populus), but the Senate has passed a bill for $3.9 Billion in a defense appropriations bill to provide the anti-viral agent to save lives. Our system is unready for an outbreak for the moment, according to Frist(a noted doctor, except for the famous video 'diagnosis' of the unfortunate Teri Schiavo, RIP). Certainly more details upcoming.