Chris Murphy: “I thank the learned gentleman on these issues, so important to understanding infectious disease. I know one of the…”

“I thank the learned gentleman on these issues, so important to understanding infectious disease. I know one of the aspects of this, too, and I will ask my friend and colleague, Dr. Gingrey of Georgia, to comment on this, and that is helping us in Congress put this in perspective. Back in 1976, an 18-year-old Private David Lewis came into his base at Fort Dix, staggering in, was given some resuscitation, and soon afterwards they determined that he had something called swine flu. Soon after that there was a declaration that this would be a deadly virus, perhaps reaching the level of the Spanish flu of 1918. Even at that time, President Ford went on television saying, ``I have just concluded a meeting on a subject of vast importance to all Americans. I have been advised there is a very real possibility that unless we take effective counteractions, there could be an epidemic of this dangerous disease next fall and winter here in the United States.'' At that time President Ford asked Congress to appropriate $135 million to fight it; and of course, huge problems did not develop with swine flu. I always have the concern that when we are engaged with a public health activity, we have two possible dangers.…”