Topic: To What Extent is our Government’s Protocol on Epidemics Effective?
Contagion
Throughout the globe, many fear the potentiality of a world-wide epidemic. The concept itself may seem to be surreal and out of reach, but in fact is as conceivable as getting the flu. Each nation abides by their own distinct protocol when faced with horrid outbreaks, and the United States is no different. Although many Americans question the government’s “veracity and leadership capability” in regards to pandemics, the overall rapid responses tend to be overshadowed by media and miscommunications in general. As proposed by the United States’ government, the initial strategy is composed of three major components; preparedness…show more content… A well-known, current epidemic at the time is the Ebola outbreak in West
Africa, taking more than 4,000 lives up to date. On record, the world has endured several epidemics dating all the way back to 430 B.C. when small pox had killed over 30,000 people in Greece. In the 20th century, the great flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919 is estimated to have killed between 30 million and 50 million individuals worldwide. With such an extreme number of fatalities, guidelines have been thoughtfully and carefully created to prevent the expansion and decrease the severity of these sudden outbreaks. “Can a country with a free press and a robust political debate provide its citizens with actionable information so that they can protect themselves from a threat to their health or safety?” After analyzing the government’s effectiveness in sending accurate information to the people of the United States, many Americans don’t believe that the government is capable of keeping them out of harm’s way. Prior mistakes in campaigns funded to terminate infectious diseases have decreased the American citizens’ trust in the…show more content… government to act on pandemics, like the “Secretary of Health and Human Services making [PREP] Act declarations [and] the Food and Drug Administration issuing [EUAs.]” A Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act allows the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to issue declarations that provide immunity against diseases and health emergencies. In other words, the secretary is able to authorize the production of vaccines and drugs to fight against any health threats. Giving more power to government and health officials allows for aggressive responses in general.
Another thing that goes unnoticed is that the CDC remains vigilant in updating and categorizing diseases more efficiently. “The number of foodborne disease outbreaks reported in the United States declined substantially in 2009.” Clarification of several factors like the mode of transmission allows for more accurate conclusions on the trends of certain pandemics. By accessing correct records, American’s gain that much more reliability in the system the government has organized to handle
