In an era of constant and rapid international travel, what steps should the United States take to protect our population from global pandemics or deliberate biological attacks?
Obama: Overseas, I will launch a Shared Security Partnership that invests $5 billion over three years to forge an international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure to take down terrorist networks. I will also strengthen U.S. intelligence collection overseas to identify and interdict would-be bioterrorists before they strike and expand the U.S. government's bioforensics program for tracking the source of any biological weapon.. . . I will invest in new vaccines and technology to detect attacks and to trace them to their origin, so that we can react in a timely fashion. . . . Because of the unpredictability of the mode of biological attack, I will stress the need for broad-gauged vaccines and drugs and for more agile and responsive drug development and production systems.
McCain: First, we must limit the spread of disease to the United States. Second, we must limit the spread of disease within the United States. . . . Third, we must mitigate symptoms of the disease and minimize suffering and death with effective treatments and countermeasures. . . . Similar response capabilities would be necessary if a deliberate biological attack were to occur.. . . We must fund research and development of new medicines and vaccines and make sure that we have adequate stockpiles of countermeasures and a robust and well-thought-out distribution plan in case crisis strikes.In an era of constant and rapid international travel, what steps should the United States take to protect our population from global pandemics or deliberate biological attacks?Obama: Overseas, I will launch a Shared Security Partnership that invests $5 billion over three years to forge an international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure to take down terrorist networks. I will also strengthen U.S. intelligence collection overseas to identify and interdict would-be bioterrorists before they strike and expand the U.S. government's bioforensics program for tracking the source of any biological weapon.. . . I will invest in new vaccines and technology to detect attacks and to trace them to their origin, so that we can react in a timely fashion. . . . Because of the unpredictability of the mode of biological attack, I will stress the need for broad-gauged vaccines and drugs and for more agile and responsive drug development and production systems.McCain: First, we must limit the spread of disease to the United States. Second, we must limit the spread of disease within the United States. . . . Third, we must mitigate symptoms of the disease and minimize suffering and death with effective treatments and countermeasures. . . . Similar response capabilities would be necessary if a deliberate biological attack were to occur.. . . We must fund research and development of new medicines and vaccines and make sure that we have adequate stockpiles of countermeasures and a robust and well-thought-out distribution plan in case crisis strikes.
