Bush Biodefense Directive a Good Move, Editorial Says
The Bush administration "has been wise" to prepare against a potential bioterrorist attack, and a new directive adds to the "substantial progress" already made toward bioterrorism preparedness, a Washington Times editorial states (Washington Times, 4/30). President Bush recently signed a directive concerning biodefense and portions of the directive were declassified Wednesday. According to the directive, the Department of Homeland Security will:
- Establish a National Biosurveillance Group to collect and assess all relevant information about potential threats against the nation;
- Perform a biological "net assessment" every four years evaluating the effectiveness of existing biodefenses;
- Conduct a national risk assessment every two years evaluating new biological threats;
- Provide all assessments to the Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, CDC, FBI and "numerous other agencies";
- Expand international efforts to prevent biological material from reaching terrorists; and
- Develop an "early-warning system" to detect the intentional release of any harmful biological material into the water supply (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 4/29).
According to the editorial, the administration's antibioterrorism efforts thus far have yielded "tangible results," such as the establishment of the BioWatch surveillance system, development of anthrax and Ebola vaccines and procurement of enough smallpox vaccine to inoculate the U.S. population. "Policymakers still have a great deal of work in front of them but the strategy outlined by the presidential directive is another positive step, one demanded by the ever-evolving threat of bioterrorism," the editorial concludes (Washington Times, 4/30).
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