U.S. launches three biodefense centers
June 19, 2012
Texas A&M University moves to the forefront of the US biodefense effort (credit: Texas A&M University)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded contracts for the creation of three new centers tasked with responding to the threat of future pandemics and biological attacks, Nature News Blog reports.
Based in Maryland, North Carolina and Texas, the three “Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing” are the first tangible result of a review concluded by HHS in 2010.
It highlighted major improvements needed to effectively fight an outbreak from an emerging disease, such as H1N1 in 2009 or severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, or a bioterrorism attack, such as the anthrax attacks of 2001.
The largest award — $176 million over five years — went to Texas A&M University.
HHS projects that the centers will be able to produce 25% of the country’s pandemic flu vaccine supply within four months of an outbreak, with the infrastructure in place by 2014 or 2015.
Comments (9)
by AJ
Right now the biggest concern for the US and actually the whole civilized world are RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS (aka NUTS). Can be any religion, or a political ideology. Imagine al-Q or some other nut groups blowing up the LHC, or the new Sequoia computer (there is always a possibilty for anything ; ) ). If anything like that happens, we’ll all be back in stone age and the Singularity is another few hundred years in front of us instead of Kurzweil’s 2045 scenario. Happy to see US build this biodefense centre. Good job US.
by Jessica
Am I the only one focused on how poor the landscaping and how not-green the grass is in that picture? Biodefense, yea right.
by me
Am i the only one who sees naked self interest at work here??? This is the same government (trust me, only the name of the party changes in that town) that demanded that we buy up Tamiflu supplies from Donald Rumsfeld’s company Gilead (which had been purchase by Rouche) at a HUGE profit to stock holders and share holders only to later have it determined that it didn’t really work for the flu in question and the better part of the supply expired in storage on the taxpayer dime. It enriched Mr Rumsfeld substantially. I see a new Birdflu/Pigflu/LittleFuzzyBunnyFlu to peek its head up over the horizon as soon as these weasels have enough of this adjuvant filled “super-vaccine” to foist off upon the unsuspecting public.
by xnylady
You are right on, they could be twins. I remember the Dems yelling and kicking when the GOP did it, now they find it very useful. There really is no difference in these 2 party’s. When 1 party drops off the other party continues the mission OWO
by Gorden Russell
They’re certainly moving fast. But 25% capacity doesn’t sound like enough. If there is a bird flu outbreak we will all want the vaccine.
by xnylady
I believe this 25% more than what they already have.
by Dizzle
They know something.
Read my .99cent ebook. It’s 2048 and It Happened at Nextfest.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RD9EEY/
by Mr.x
If I were you I’d try to learn something about marketing.Spamming self-serving advertising without contributing anything else isn’t a great idea.
If the damage of an possible event is really high one should to take precautions even if the probability of that event is fairly low (I am not saying it is, idk).People should not read too much into it.
by Razor
About time.