For Immediate Release
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Statement by AFSCME President Gerald McEntee On Bush Proposal on Pandemic-Flu Threat
The Bush Administration is finally taking the potential for a pandemic flu seriously. But if the President's plan is not quickly revised to account for first responders, it will result in another case of poor crisis planning for this administration and a health care disaster for Americans.
Although many of the measures in the President's plan, such as ramping up vaccine production and stockpiling medications, are crucial elements of a comprehensive response, the plan is woefully inadequate to protect health care workers and other first responders who will be on the front line of an epidemic.
President Bush is calling for the stockpiling of surgical masks for health care workers. It is absurd and dangerous to suggest that a thin paper mask will protect health care workers responding to a deadly flu.
The Bush plan ignores existing health and safety respiratory standards that require appropriate selection, fit-testing of respirators prior to exposure. It is imperative that the Bush plan be amended to include fitted respirators and specialized training for health care workers.
