Clinton on swine flu

Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:04 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: State Dept.

From NBC's Courtney Kube

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just spoke briefly at the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the budget supplemental about how the State Department is responding to swine flu.

State has established an influenza monitoring group based in the State Department operations center, and they are tracking and monitoring how other governments are responding to the outbreak. Clinton added that her department is constantly reviewing and refining advice to Americans who travel or live abroad. (There was no mention of Vice President Biden's recommendations this morning).

She reminded the committee that USAID is giving the World Health Organization and PanAmerican Health Organization $5 million to help contain and treat the disease in Mexico.

Finally, she said that she is very cognizant of the role the U.S. must play in attempting to stem and contain this outbreak.

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Comments

Obviously the left hand of the Obama administration doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Now you've got three different executive departments and the VP telling the country four different things. I guess we can ignore Biden, we all know he's retarded.

Ben Koffers, NJ (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:16 AM)

Hillary is a sane voice urging caution but not panic on the swine flu epidemic. So unlike the fox and freaks show where they are trying to panic their idiotic viewers and play petty partisan politics by trying to blame Obama for bringing it back with him from Mexico. I'mn so relieved that it waited until Obama was in office as this would have been a disaster if the bushwhacker or McNasty were in charge.

To the Independent who whined about my vitriol - sorry I will not tone it down until the repugnant ones tone down their hateful rants. If you don't like the vitriol and are truly independent, which I know you're not, then you would have asked all parties to drop the rants.

In Hillary We Trust!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:21 AM)

Joe "Scarecrow" Biden....are we sure he's not really an undercover plant to make Obama and company look stupid.

He's right up there with Dan Quayle and Al Gore as great VP's.

At least Obama see's it and occassionally throws him under the bus for cover.

Ed Crane, Middlebury, IN (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:23 AM)

Hillary is right, as usual.
Too bad she isn't President, instead of "Motor-Mouth."

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:37 AM)

Yes "Gross Odd People" (GOP) the funding of disease control and stem cell research is very crucial to our national security. To prevent diseases from becoming an economic disaster for our nation is important. The "mentally challenged" individuals in the GOP/RNC. Were not paying attention in their 8th grade science classes. Most of them dropped out of school after that anyway. Mrs. Clinton is handling this unfortunate situation the best she can. Keep-up the good work Hillary!

Rock, Janesville, Wisconsin (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:45 AM)

So Hillary says one thing, but Biden says "We should all avoid planes and trains". Then Biden comes out with another statement that says "I'd tell my family to avoid planes and trains.".

Okay, so what Biden is saying is that common folks like us can go on planes and trains and be exposed to the disease, but elites like the Biden family should avoid the same?

Glenn Patterson, NY (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:50 AM)

I think we need to calm down - We had a scare like this in the late 70s & it didn't turn into a pandemic & hopefully it won't now - Flu season is almost over & a new vaccine for this should be out by fall -

Maggie, NYC (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:02 PM)

didn't the pork industry ask us to stop calling it swine flue and instead calling it by its official scientific designation?

Miss Piggy (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:03 PM)

Dottie Swarthmore PA (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:06 PM)

Am I being too cynical about the Swine Flu? The population of the United States is 306,322,376. Last count we had 193 cases of the flu in the U.S. Is there too much hysteria about this subject. Just asking.
Dottie Swarthmore PA (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:06 PM)

Recently the population of the US was 350,000,000, so apprently the flu has killed off about 44,000,000 people.

JBiden (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:15 PM)

Eric in Salinas,

This is the same argument the Democrats are using for budget deficits: you started it first! Liberals and conservatives will not agree on many issues, but comparing those you disagree with to the Taliban or Hitler is abhorrent, no matter what your political beliefs are.

Resorting to name calling is usually a sign that you have no facts or reason for your positions. I'm sure that's not the case, so let's try to be a little more intellectual in our disagreements (that goes for everyone!).

Tim D., Harrisburg, PA (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:20 PM)

Sec Clinton is correct in tone and process. This is a time for preparation and monitoring, not for panic. As Maggie (NYC) points out flu season is almost behind us and there is ample time to produce a vacine for the fall and to ramp up anti viral production.

Here is FW they closed all the schools for 2 cases. A bit of over caution in my opinion, but that's TX for ya!

Ed, FW, TX (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:23 PM)

Yes Dottie - Yes - calm down people.

Cassy - NC (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:29 PM)

Dottie Swarthmore PA

You know, I've had that discussion with quite a few people and everyone seems to think it is being over-hyped. The Mexico City area has a population of something like 20 million people. Estimates say there may be several thousand cases, but only about 100 have been confirmed. Even if all the suspected cases are real, that doesn't seem like a terribly high infection rate.

The mortality rate in Mexico is very scary because if the numbers are correct, mortality could be 5-10% or higher. I found some notes on the 1918 flu pandemic that said mortality rates of that bug were about 2.5%, compared to 0.1% for previous flu epedemics.

But I think the big fear is that it is a new strain that humans have little or no immunity to. I also think there is a big fear that it will slow its spread, mutate, and come back in the fall/winter with a vengeance. I hope that it is being over-hyped!

Chris - IL (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:41 PM)

J. Merle--Please get over the election!!! Please for you sake and all of ours!!!

Lewis, Cincinnati, Ohio (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:04 PM)

It's all overblown - as usual - and just another tool
in the "fear" toolbox used to control people....

When the swine flu fear subsides, just wait...the media will quickly latch onto something else....

Seeker (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:12 PM)

We have become acustomed to fear over the least little thing. While the flu is nothing to get all worked up about it is also something we should keep an eye on. As the President, Vice President and Secretary of State have all suggested we should wash our hands frequently. In my household and in my office we have anti-viral wipes that were use on faucets, door knobs and other places that often spread germs. For those in schools that are closing it is probably much ado about nothing but I can understand the caution at this point. The flu usually dies out during the warm months of summer and if it returns it will be in the Fall. By then the vaccine will be ready to go. Until then take Tamiflu which we get from the pharmacy.

The Vice President has suggested not only his family not ride public conveyences but that we do the same. It was quite clear what he meant but certain haters forget the last part in order to find fault and justify in thir feeble little minds something to complain about.

eagle1776 (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:36 PM)

On the one hand we have cable news with its 24 hour cycle and appetite for stories. I think our local channels in Pittsburgh are disappointed because we don't have any swine flu. But-on the other hand--I keep flashing back to Stephen King's The Stand and how the superflu wiped everyone out. Isn't it better to be cautious?

Steeler Fan Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:42 PM)

"Say it ain't so Joe!" That's what Obama was probably thinking after Biden's most recent words of wisdom.

Looking forward to his next oops! And don't worry, it will happen again real soon.

Tim (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:57 PM)

The Biden comment was so over hyped. I understand why everyone is going after Biden, he's a much easier mark then our CIC. I for one am very glad to have Biden as VP and also feel Hillary is right where she should be. We will get thru this flu thing, and hopefully take lessons for it, be prepared if it returns in fall.

cindy, las vegas, nv (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:14 PM)

I told my family not to travel by plane right now. How the hell you going to take an intelligent idea like that and twist it to be some kind of mistake made by Biden. If you don't have an absolute necessity to travel I would not get on a plane to mexico that is certain. I also want to point out that planes that go to mexico also come to Charlotte and other places in the country. I wouldn't fly either.

It's a sad state when people start trying to take something that is perfectly fine to say and trying to twist it into something more meaningful or a total blunder. Give me a break people. this is nutty.

Rod, SC. (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:48 PM)

i am looking for "ok, the flu is here, what you HAVE TO DO so you don't die"????
stay at home? and my job?
go to see a doctor? i lost my health insurance!
please stop telling people do avoid things and TELL what to do in case you feel the symptoms.
and... where to go when you don't have health insurance anymore?
now, maybe obama should get opportunity and show the country how people can die with the health care situation in usa.

Lilia (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:52 PM)

I am going to say this again....Joe Biden is NOT saying anything that rational people are already thinking. You can call Biden all the names you want, but I find Joe Biden "refreshingly real" compared to some of the crazy talk in the Right Wing these days.

Barbara C. - Fort Lauderdale, FL (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:54 PM)

....in all fairness to Joe's caution, George Bush would have told us to go shopping and to behave as though nothing is wrong because those viruses just hate our freedom...

Llewd Jonas (Sent Thursday, April 30, 2009 3:04 PM)

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