Obama on Swine Flu: Urges ‘Utmost Precautions’ And Advises Schools with Cases to Close

The administration has done a very good job keeping the public informed and staying out in front of this public health concern.

agree jks though the Rushbots will be attacking anyway

drjohn
Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC
and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano both said they expected to see deaths as a result of this strain of flu.
“It is very likely that we will see more serious presentations of illness and some deaths as we go through this flu cycle,” Napolitano said.
President Obama requested $1.5 billion in additional emergency funds to fight the illness.
You are simply part of the problem.

Don’t worry, Mr. Obama is getting frequent briefings on this problem.

CNN just broadcast a report where they track down the very first patient to come down with swine flu, a 5-year old boy in Mexico. It turns out that the pig farm next to the town where the boy lives is owned by Americans. Can it be any more obvious? Shouldn’t Mr. Obama apologize immediately to Mexico?

So Napolitano says we’ll see more deaths from this, but we still have to keep the border wide open?
What will it take to close down the border, and at least slow the advance of the virus’ spread? How many people have to die? Or are immigrant advocacy groups that powerful that Americans have to be infected and die so immigrants can get in, sick or not?
You can bet more infected and sick immigrants are trying to come over the border, if only for medical care. Why not control and test them, and then provide medical care to as many as possible inside the U.S.? At least that way, they can get medical care, and you have some control over the spread of the disease.
Mexicans that are infected look around and see that most of their own infected citizens are dying, but most U.S. infected are staying alive. You have to expect they’re going to try to get in the U.S. More controls could just be temporary, until the danger has passed.

“Just the other day you were personally blaming him for the plane fiasco.”
And you’re asseting it wasn’t?
Seriously?
Who do you think can order that plane dispatched? You have no idea how that works. None.
NO ONE moves the President’s plane without his approval.

drjohn:”Obama failed. Deaths are always cause for alarm in my book, but not in yours, apparently.
People should have been tested immediately. Travel restrictions should have been imposed. They let this get out of control.”
People were tested immediately. Your constant distortion of the facts gives your opinion very little credibility. Testing started last week, with results announce Sunday (leading to the closure of St Francis).
If travel restrictions are imposed I have no doubt you’d be condemning Obama for overreaction, fascism, and decimating the economy.

I really wish the President would have been more forthright the past few days. He should of characterized this flu as “very serious” from the onset.

Key words BHO’s speech were this “Every American should know that the federal government is prepared to do whatever necessary to control the impact of this virus,” he said”. Sounds to me he is setting US up to be ready for martial law! Suspension of all freedoms! They created this crisis and our borders a kept wide open. They said “Don’t let a good crisis go by unused!

“Who do you think can order that plane dispatched? You have no idea how that works. None.
NO ONE moves the President’s plane without his approval.”
Please provide proof of this. You’re stating it as fact all over the place, but have offered no proof at all. If it’s true, it shouldn’t be too hard to validate. Otherwise, stop giving the impression that something is true, when you have no way of knowing one way or the other.

“It’s not cause for alarm if it’s not Obama’s child who is lost, I guess. The time for acting is well past.”
LOFL! Now he’s responsible for Swine Flu. You realize what you people look like, right? How laughably foolish you sound, right?

Terry:”Can you help us understand why Mr. Obama’s administration is now changing the name from Swine Flu to H1N1 Flu? How is that making us safer?”
It has no impact on our safety, but some countries are taking this opportunity to place unfair bans on the import of American pork products. This is absurd – it is not transmit by pork products, and could cost our industry hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

“And can somebody tell me how this is any more serious than the regular flu that kills something like 26,000 Americans every year? I’m not saying it’s not…just trying to understand.’
My understanding is seasonal flu typically kills the elderly, young and people whose immune systems are already compromised or they are too frail to fight off the flu.
The H1N1 flu is killing healthy 20, 30 and 40 year olds.

Democrats::: How can we Tax this flu????

Hi jhw539
Wasn’t the 1918 Flu called the “Spanish Flu”? Why not call it the “Mexican Flu”?
Anyway, I think Mr. Obama cannot win on this one. If it gets more serious, he will be blamed for not doing enough. If it fades out, he will be blamed of over reacting and using it to implement his unpopular policies.
I wonder if he now has a little more understanding and sympathy for Mr. Bush who was treated so badly by the Democrats for so many years.

“The president urged people to take individual responsibility…” except with regards to credit card debt, mortgage debt and your own happiness.
The borders should have been closed as soon as the government became aware of the epidemic. We should be using body temperature moniters in airports for all incoming passengers like they have in Taiwan. We (the Obama administration) aren’t even attempting to quarantine this flu.
Napolitano should not be in charge of this. They are just trying to bolster her weakened “brand”. She has no medical background and this is not about Homeland Security. It is a health issue and they are playing politics.

While the president allows 400k to be spent on a photo op we have a crisis impending that he shrugs off initially as ” no cause for alarm”.
While the money could be spent to implement safety measures.Other countries have sensors in place at the borders,dissallow travel and re-entry and act immedialty and not wait until case studies showing thousands affected.

Hi Silky,
Didn’t the Democrats overwhelmingly support the invasion of Iraq? Have you looked over some of the speeches delivered in the Senate just before the final vote to authorize the invasion? Did you check the vote in the Senate, wasn’t it 98 to 2?
At that time there was a debate over whether Mr. Bush needed to go back to the Senate for final authorization. The Democrats were demanding that he do it precisely so they could show their support. Mr. Bush agreed to submit the matter back to the Senate.
Mr. Bush actually did try to work with the Democrats, even to the last of administration, despite withering and unrelenting criticism from them.

elle:”Other countries have sensors in place at the borders,dissallow travel and re-entry and act immedialty and not wait until case studies showing thousands affected.”
Please cite these countries that implemented these measures prior to the US. Bear in mind that China’s border is always pretty much sealed, and the EU was coming out with statements on Monday, just like the US.

How can i know if is swine flu or just a regular flu? When you should go to the hospital??

Have they made a vaccine yet for this flu? If so, I haven’t been offered it yet. Politicians first, I guess. Antivirals certainly won’t work.

Neomi
How can i know if is swine flu or just a regular flu? When you should go to the hospital??
Great question! While there is so much focus on the statistics of this flu,the educational aspect has been neglegted.
I had to resort to our local news side to get more info about the symptoms.
Indiana -Google WTHR ,there is good information available.

The Obama team has done a terrific job keeping everyone informed. My state and city are currently impacted by the H1N1 flu. We have schools closing every day and entire districts closing as a result.
The school administrators are in contact with the CDC.

Terry:”I wonder if he now has a little more understanding and sympathy for Mr. Bush who was treated so badly by the Democrats for so many years.”
The actual historical record shows Bush getting a free ride from Democrats for his first term – Congress allowed through everything from his pre-9/11 signature tax cuts and No Child Left Behind (really ticking off the Dem teacher unions) to his post 9/11 march into Iraq.
I would be thrilled if Republicans similarly yielded to Obama’s electoral mandate and gave him the same couple years to prove his ideas that the black and white documented history shows Bush was granted.

..or does it seem mighty coincidental that this “swine” flu outbreak occurred in Mexico at the EXACT time(Spring Break) when the largest possible amount of Americans would be in Mexico?
______________________________
Who knew we could actually thank the drug cartels for something? Spring break tourism was down due to the cartel violence mainly along the border, but many families opted for other vacation spots as a result.
btw – the first reported case was documented in Mexico on 4/2. Most Spring Breaks are around mid-March.

Sorry elle. I meant jhw539.
Also, sorry silky. I meant Paige.

silky is right that the cartels slowed the # of spring breakers a bit but here in PA our spring break was, and usually is, mid-April.
____________________________
Actually, I said that about the cartels.
Do you know who else was in Mexico and Mexico City on April 16th and 17th?
Our President among other leaders.

“Urges and Advises”…YEP

As Swine Flu is spread by human to human contact, and children are the # 1 spreaders of germs, it becomes imperative to educate children on how germs are spread.
Young children don’t spread germs because they want to, they don’t know how NOT to.
Germy Wormy Germ Smart for Kids educates and entertains kids while teaching them how to NOT spread germs.
Please pass along to anyone who has young children and is concerned about the spread of the Swine Flu

So, they are closing our borders during this epidemic, right? NO. Why not?
how sincere do you think they really are about containing this thing?
It will be another excuse to take money for medical research…I smell legislation coming.
Besides, I thought Obama could heal the sick. Have we all been mislead?

All public schools are not close because of the swine flu. The government and the mainstream news media are just trying to scare us. Beside to discuss about swine flu, they need to fix the economy.

“Texas Gov. Rick Perry said that he was declaring a disaster in order to be properly prepared for the swine flu outbreak.
During a press conference Wednesday, Perry said the disaster declaration would allow the state to implement emergency protective measures and receive government assistance. That assistance would include receiving an additional 840,000 doses of flu medications from the national stockpile.
During the news conference, Department of State Health Services Commissioner Dr. David Lakey said that there are now 16 cases on swine flu in Texas. He said that two Texans, and infant and a pregnant woman, are in critical condition.” (CBS)
Comal ISD closed
New Braunfels ISD closed
Cleburne ISD closed
+ other individual schools, daycares and districts across the state.

Well if the Katrina response was Bushs then the Swine flu response belongs to Obama.

what a load while everyone has fear flu what is washington going to be doing ?? some things never change.

I live in San Diego and Substitute teach. After living 2 years in Kenya, East Africa, I would encourage the following safety measures for families:
1 Give each child a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Discuss how germs are spread and give them a reward if they use their sanitizer at school especially before lunch when they will be in contact with food and their mouth/face etc. I gave my kids a dollar each day they come home and told me how they used their sanitizer. This makes it like a game and is less scarry for children. Also, encourage them to let their “friends” use sanitizer, less germs around them.
2. Practice what to do if you need to sneeze or itch your nose or wipe your eye. I would recommend they either put their face in their shirt to sneeze, use a kleenex when available. Also practice using the area ABOVE the wrist to wipe any itches. Fingers obviously have the most germs.
3. Practice turning away when someone sneezes. You can ask them about this after school and praise them for remembering. They may also help you know if some kids in their class may have symptoms.
4. Never share drinks or food with friends. Now it would be especially wise to not share with family members either.
5. Keep to the same area of people you are inevitably around. Use the grocery store only by your home and buy more and shop less times.
6. You may want to buy groceries and shop online.
7. If you run out of hand sanitizer or hands start getting sore, you can also use an antibacterial wipe. If you put if in a ziplock baggie it will stay moist and you can use throughout day. Works well.
8.Go to stores early so there are less germs. The flu virus can usually last up to 2 hours.
9. When in stores try not to touch what others would repeatedly touch like the countertop by the checkout, also checkout magazines. wipe cart handles before use.
10. When using others cell phones, or multi user computers, wipe down first or atleast sanitize your hands. the alcohol from the sanitizer should help.
11. Breathe through your nose instead of mouth when possible in public places and don’t stand close to others. Keep greater distances in lines
12. Going to a hospital or airport, consider wearing a mask and remember same tips for caution still apply.
13. Remember, the goal is to help it not spread, most people Do not Die from it, but it is surely Not FUN to have the flu, especially a stronger one. Pray for health and wisdom and families that are affected.
Smile, but with your mouth closed of course.