ANTHRAX: AMONG THE LIVING
The purpose of the August 11, 2008 teleconference is to disclose recent activities of the Board and to ensure that the public is given an opportunity to be involved in the deliberative process of the Board on personal preparedness issues that will specifically impact the Nation. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to release information that will have impact on all U.S. citizens. The information involves the homestockpiling of antibiotics prescribed by a physician for use following an exposure to anthrax.
Therefore, a special meeting of the Board is being convened to assure that the public is given the opportunity to provide comments to the Department prior to the information being released for wide-spread dissemination. There will be time for members of the public to present their comments to the Board on this subject matter. As a result of the impending release of information concerning personal preparedness, there are exceptional circumstances that prevent the normal 15 calendar days notice for this meeting. This is a special meeting of the Board.
Availability of Materials: The agenda and other materials will be posted on the NBSB Web site
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response National Biodefense Science Board Washington, D.C. 20201
The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt
Secretary of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
RADM William C. Vanderwagen, M.D.
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
Dear Secretary Leavitt and Admiral Vanderwage~: At the June 18,2008, meeting of the National Biodefense Science Board, the Department presented information to the Board on considerations for home stockpiling of antibiotics for use following an anthrax attack. The discussion included both plans to develop and evaluate a standardized MedKit, and guidance documents for families that might wish to stockpile antibiotics through an ordinary prescription obtained from a physician.
This was promoted as a way of encouraging individual responsibility and promoting community resilience, values we endorse. As we communicated to you in a letter following the June Meeting, the Board expressed many concerns about personal stockpiling of antibiotics, particularly through ordinary prescriptions. We agree though that the issue of rapid distribution of countermeasures is urgent and we have established a Working Group to address personal stockpiling as well as other personal preparedness and rapid dispensing issues. The scientific and practical benefits of individual stockpiling of ordinary antibiotic prescriptions remain to be demonstrated. Data must be developed that will estimate what if any impact this will have to improve preparedness.
There are already substantial scientific data to demonstrate risk, including antibiotic misuse, inappropriate dosing, adverse events and selection of resistance through misuse before an event. Additional quantification of these risks is needed. We are concerned that the Department is moving forward rapidly to implement individual stockpiling with the proposed posting and promotion of a question and answer document. We believe that this would be unwise before the science is adequately examined. Moreover, there is a high risk of providing a confusing message that does not have the endorsement of experts in public health, biodefense, and infectious disease, nor of the majority of medical practitioners.
Remarks by Mr. Ted GistaroNational Intelligence Officer for Transnational Threats
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Washington, DC
August 12, 2008
[Excerpts]
We assess that greatly increased worldwide counterterrorism efforts over the past five years have constrained the ability of al-Qaeda to attack the United States and our allies and have led terrorist groups to perceive the homeland in particular as a harder target to strike than on September 11. These security measures have helped disrupt known plots against the United States since September 11. That said, al-Qaeda remains the most serious terrorist threat to the United States, and we remain in the heightened threat environment we noted in the July 2007 National Intelligence Estimate.
• We are not aware of any specific, credible al-Qaeda plot to attack the U.S. homeland. But we do receive a steady stream of threat reporting from sources of varying creditability, which the U.S. intelligence community is investigating aggressively.
• As the election nears, we expect to see an uptick in such threat reporting -- of varying credibility -- regarding possible attacks.
13 August 2008
[Federal Register: August 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 157)]
[Notices]
[Page 47192]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13au08-84]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Biodefense Science Board; Notification of a Public
Teleconference
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the
Secretary.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: As stipulated by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services is hereby giving notice that
the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) will be holding a public
teleconference. The meeting is open to the public.
DATES: The NBSB will hold a public teleconference on August 11, 2008.
The teleconference will be held from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. Public
Conference Call-In Number is 1-888-566-5790 and the Public Password is
``Monday''. Participants will be asked to provide their name, title,
and organization.
ADDRESSES: The conference will be conducted by phone.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing to obtain general information concerning this public teleconference should contact CAPT Leigh A. Sawyer, D.V.M., M.P.H., Executive Director, National Biodefense Science Board, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 200 Independence Ave., SW., Room 638G, Washington, DC 20201;
via telephone/voice mail: 202-205-3815; fax: 202-690-7412; or e-mail
at: leigh.sawyer@hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 319M of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-7f) and section 222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 217a), the Department of Health and Human Services established the National Biodefense Science Board. The Board shall provide expert advice and guidance to the Secretary on scientific, technical, and other matters of special interest to the Department of Health and Human Services regarding current and future chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological agents, whether
naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate. The Board may also provide advice and guidance to the Secretary on other matters related to public health emergency preparedness and response.
Background: The purpose of the August 11, 2008 teleconference is to
disclose recent activities of the Board and to ensure that the public is given an opportunity to be involved in the deliberative process of the Board on personal preparedness issues that will specifically impact the Nation. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to release information that will have impact on all U.S. citizens. The information involves the homestockpiling of antibiotics prescribed by a physician for use following an exposure to anthrax. Therefore, a special meeting of the Board is being convened to assure
that the public is given the opportunity to provide comments to the Department prior to the information being released for wide-spread dissemination. There will be time for members of the public to present their comments to the Board on this subject matter. As a result of the
impending release of information concerning personal preparedness, there are exceptional circumstances that prevent the normal 15 calendar days notice for this meeting. This is a special meeting of the Board. The next scheduled meeting of the Board will be announced in the Federal Register within the required time-frame established by the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Availability of Materials: The agenda and other materials will be
posted on the NBSB Web site prior to the meeting.
Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the public may submit relevant written or oral information for the NBSB to consider.
Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a public NBSB teleconference will be limited to three minutes per speaker, with no more than a total of 20 minutes for all speakers. To be placed on the public speaker list, you should notify the operator when you enter the call-in number.
Dated: August 8, 2008.
William C. Vanderwagen,
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. E8-18762 Filed 8-8-08; 3:45 pm]
BILLING CODE 4150-37-P
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