The Government’s Swine Flu Plan: Does it Measure Up?

Yesterday, the president held a press conference to update the nation about the government’s preparedness for an impending outbreak of H1N1, or “swine flu.” The briefing was lackluster, to say the least, and it came on the heels of some startling news: there’s suspicion that three people in Egypt might have independently come down with both avian flu and H1N1 simultaneously, a viral partnership that could allow H1N1 to become more virulent. (For more, read this article from the International Society for Infectious Diseases.) Are we really prepared for that? To read between the lines of dry bureaucratic-speak, we’ve called in our swine flu guru, Dr. Richard Wenzler.