Obama monitoring swine flu, 'no cause for alarm'
(Adds quotes, background, paragraphs 3-7)
WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday that U.S. officials were closely monitoring cases of swine flu in the country, but he said there was no immediate cause for alarm.
"This is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert. but it is not a cause for alarm," Obama told a meeting of the National Academy of Sciences.
Obama said the Sunday decision by his administration to declare a U.S. public health emergency was a "precautionary tool" that would give health officials the resources needed to respond quickly and effectively to the flu threat.
Obama said he was getting regular updates on the flu, which has killed 103 people in Mexico and spread to North America and Europe. While no one outside of Mexico has died, pandemic fears have been raised because the flu appears able to move quickly between humans.
U.S. officials have announced steps to release some of the U.S. stockpiles of the anti-flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. They have also recommended that local authorities plan for possible school closures and that anyone with symptoms stay at home to reduce the possibility of spreading the illness.
The outbreak is yet another distraction for Obama as he focuses on rescuing the economy from its worst crisis in decades. His administration will also be mindful of the damage to former President George W. Bush over his government's inept handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Obama, who in his speech set a goal of devoting 3 percent of U.S. gross domestic product to science and research, called the flu outbreak "one more example why we can't allow our nation to fall behind" on research and development. (Writing by Andrew Quinn, editing by Anthony Boadle)
- Tweet this
- Link this
- Share this
- Digg this
- Reprints
Follow Reuters