Thread: Ebola

Originally Posted by BobH

In the case of the Canadian vaccine now in human trials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the USA, the vaccine was developed at a Canadian government lab in Winnipeg MB and licensed out to be manufactured. So in this case no pharmaceutical company was really concerned in it's development. I bet they sure as heck are rubbing their hands now that they have the rights to produce it. I think you can thank the Canadian tax payer and the dedicated small group of people who kept at it for over a decade to get there all the while fighting for continued and sufficient funding. So NO, the pharmaceutical industry gets no praise from me. They were too busy making money on the likes of Viagra and indigestion pills during that time.

More info How a Winnipeg lab became an Ebola research powerhouse - Manitoba - CBC News

Bob

We work with Health Canada a lot. I have a device going through approval for treating MS up there now. Medically, the FDA and Health Canada are very in-tuned.

U.S. hospitals gird for Ebola panic as flu season looms
By Bill Berkrot and Yasmeen Abutaleb

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A young woman complaining of abdominal pain and nausea who had traveled to Africa arrived at a Long Island hospital fearful that she had contracted Ebola. She did not have the virus, but the pregnancy test was positive.

I have a couple of questions. Why is there not a national push for flu vaccines this year to head off a system overload ? Who is the surgeon general and why are they not coming forward with anything to calm the public besides (we have everything under control)
And lastly the new Ebola czar that has no medical background was chief of staff for Al Gore and Joe Biden was this choice to install confidence in the American people?
Conspiracy or stupidity I am thinking it could go either way on that one.

The flu shot is free up here in this province but we still have people including health professionals that refuse to get it. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Bob

Originally Posted by hidestoart

U.S. hospitals gird for Ebola panic as flu season looms
By Bill Berkrot and Yasmeen Abutaleb

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A young woman complaining of abdominal pain and nausea who had traveled to Africa arrived at a Long Island hospital fearful that she had contracted Ebola. She did not have the virus, but the pregnancy test was positive.

I have a couple of questions. Why is there not a national push for flu vaccines this year to head off a system overload ? Who is the surgeon general and why are they not coming forward with anything to calm the public besides (we have everything under control)
And lastly the new Ebola czar that has no medical background was chief of staff for Al Gore and Joe Biden was this choice to install confidence in the American people?
Conspiracy or stupidity I am thinking it could go either way on that one.

The republicans in the congress have blocked the appointment of a new surgeon general.

Originally Posted by MajorEthanolic

The republican in the congress have blocked the appointment of a new surgeon general.

All doctors or just who the president wanted?

Originally Posted by hidestoart

*SNIP*

Why is there not a national push for flu vaccines this year to head off a system overload ? Who is the surgeon general and why are they not coming forward with anything to calm the public besides (we have everything under control)

I don't know what you mean about a lack of a national push for the flu vaccine. I'm seeing TV PSAs, billboards, signs in stores, clinics, hospitals...you name it, where I live. But this year's vaccine production has indeed been slowed due to manufacturing issues. Although some vaccine has been distributed, the full supply isn't expected to be available until the end of October, not September as is the normal target. Here's what one of the major manufactures had to say about the delay:

“In our case, a portion of our flu vaccines supply has been delayed due to production difficulties that we experienced at a manufacturing facility outside of Montreal,” said Robert Perry, a spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline.

“Vaccines manufacturing is an inherently complex undertaking. When vaccines batches fail quality-assurance tests at any stage of the process, we discard them and start over. This is the primary reason for some of our vaccines being delayed, and it reflects that that patient safety trumps all else, particularly shipping considerations,” he added."

Your question about the Surgeon General is an excellent one. The answer is that there is no Surgeon General. The President's nominee, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has not been confirmed, primarily due to resistance that is backed by the gun lobby (please: no one jump my case... this is a factual statement, not a political one!). I have no doubt that the SG would be speaking out... if we had one.

Originally Posted by hidestoart

All doctors or just who the president wanted?

Since it's the president who appoints, it's up to him, but congress has to approve. They've blocked even the filling of lower level courts.

Heres a Factual statment,Obamas Ebola Czar,is not a Medical Doctor,I;E, MD he has a PHD in Law.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Heres a Factual statment,Obamas Ebola Czar,is not a Medical Doctor,I;E, MD he has a PHD in Law.

Like I've said before - I understand the choice, but it's not the choice I would have made.

Originally Posted by Dzanda

Your question about the Surgeon General is an excellent one. The answer is that there is no Surgeon General. The President's nominee, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has not been confirmed, primarily due to resistance that is backed by the gun lobby (please: no one jump my case... this is a factual statement, not a political one!). I have no doubt that the SG would be speaking out... if we had one.

This absolutely true. And it's a shame that the president had to turn the SG position into a political position and force this opposition. If he were to show respect for the different branches of our govt instead of trying to force the outcome over all else, his appointment would have probably been confirmed long ago. I don't blame republicans or the NRA. I'm as appalled by the pick as they are and support the opposition. Considering his appointment of this czar, I'm not convinced that his SG nominee would have done us much good anyway.