Just what we need right now. Reports of imploding CDC
May 26th, 2006
Effect Measure comments on problems at CDC, with senior staff leaving out of frustration that they can’t get anything done. Particularly hard hit, it is reported, are the AIDS and influenza groups. With a potential avian flu pandemic looming, this is the last thing the nation can afford.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution [Discord leaves CDC vulnerable, employees say] is quoted as saying that the lapdog Senate is “investigating”:
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is investigating whether turmoil within the Atlanta-based CDC caused by a massive reorganization is “resulting in the loss of distinguished medical experts whose participation will be greatly needed in the event of future catastrophic health emergencies,” committee spokeswoman Jill Kozeny said Tuesday night.
As is typical, the massive reorganization is apparently being done with little input from those being reorganized. The latter are naturally disgruntled. Of course, CDC management says everything is fine. Why don’t we feel fine?
Meanwhile, the CDC is simultaneously being investigated for ignoring scientific advice in the creation of performance standards for state bioterrorism preparedness:
Grassley’s committee is investigating whether efforts to create meaningful performance standards have been thrwarted [sic] by CDC management. Employees have told the committee that measurement tools written by scientific experts are “consistently rejected or rewritten” by managers lacking scientific or technical expertise, according to a letter sent on March 2 by Grassley to Michael Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC.
Unfortunately the AJC article doesn’t give examples of how the performance standards are being modified by management
Entry Filed under: Avian flu,Public Health
1 Comment
1. Cornelius Robertson | May 27th, 2006 at 9:22 am
US Centers for Disease Control Failure to Deposit Influenza Sequences in GenBank Risk Lives
The failure of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to deposit influenza sequences in GenBank places at risk the lives of many Americans. The sequences were generated using public tax money, and the CDC keeps the data in the CDC database from the people who paid for it—the US taxpayers. Many of the measures that would be used to reduce the impact of deadly influenza viruses require the sharing of sequences amongst the world’s scientists. Yet, most of the scientists of the United States and other countries are unable to examine influenza sequences acquired by the CDC, which has impaired their work.
In 1996, the world’s experts in sequencing the human genome met and determined that the rapid dissemination of these sequences in public databases was critical so that scientists all over the world could begin using this information to understand and cure diseases considered too important to delay. It was decided that sequences would be made publicly available within 24 hours after they were completed. The meeting was held in Bermuda, this agreement is known as The Bermuda Rules.
American scientists outside of the CDC are not allowed to see the sequences. Since the CDC has published the sequence of the 1918 virus, national security does not seem to be the issue. Large numbers of sequences can easily be deposited in GenBank through batch processing, so time and effort is not the issue.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services said pandemic preparedness must be guided by four principles: transparency, rapid reporting, sharing of data and scientific cooperation.
Release of the sequences would allow the human infection to be quickly matched to a source, so the source could be controlled, thus saving lives.
Release of the sequences would allow quick identification of new strains that emerge, both to allow better treatment, and to prompt changes in control strategies, vaccines, or protective measures for health care workers.
Release of the sequences would allow predictions to be made of where the virus might jump next, and help guide strategies for combating the virus.
Release of the sequestered sequences will improve selection of vaccine targets, and is essential to be independently evaluated. Blocking the sequences means there is little or no peer review. Additional independent research and analysis by the scientific community would be both warranted and potentially beneficial especially when hundreds of millions of taxpayer funds will be spent in manufacturing of “new” vaccines.
These sequences should be made available immediately to the general scientific community. The sequences are essential in pandemic vaccine development and should be accessible to all.
There is no reason to hold the publicly funded sequence results other than data management and control.