Code Pink Sets Up Tent City In Point State Park
Members of the protest group Code Pink have set up a tent city in Point State Park ahead of the G-20 Summit.
They spent the morning giving speeches and talking about various issues close to their heart
Monday morning, the women in pink took over Point State Park and pitched tents for peace.
"The name for our tent city is Real People, Real Needs. We hope to represent refugees as real people," Francine Porter said.
Specifically, women and children, who Code Pink claims, are often times those who pay the highest time in war.
"In a time of war, women and children make up 80 percent of the victims," Porter said.
"Women [are] always the last to the table. You'll see at the G-20, I think there might be one, so you'll see a lot of ladies around here, a lot of ladies in pink," Sandy Hazley said.
Hazley calls herself a veteran protestor and a social activist. She says worries of mob violence during the G-20 are unfounded and the drum beat of concern is simply coming from the media. However, it won't drown out their overall message of peace.
"The people in Pittsburgh, the people who protest in Pittsburgh. You've seen us many times. We're usually very peaceful We can't control what comes from outside," Hazley said.
"I do believe that most of the people who will be coming through to try to get their voices heard will be peaceful," Porter said.
Code Pink says over the next 48 hours it will continue to give speeches and educate the public on what they believe is important.
They will be joined by various other groups, including the Sustainable Energy Group.
That group is trying to get their message out about reducing the use of coal and relying more and more on wind power.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Monday, September 21, 2009
G20, Pittsburgh marches for jobs
More Pittsburgh G-20 Protests News Here 09 22 09
Pittsburgh labor and community coalitions held two marches Sunday, Sept. 20 demanding jobs and immediate relief for the unemployed aimed at the G20 meetings starting on Thursday, Sept. 24.
The marches are part of a week of demonstrations, cultural events, teach-ins and workshops protesting global economic policies that benefit transnational corporations and capital at the expense of labor, workers, their families and the environment.
Protest of the G-20 began in earnest yesterday when Bail Out The People, a community organizing group, held a "march for jobs" beginning at the Monumental Baptist Church in the Hill District and ending at Freedom Corner next to Mellon Arena.
The march was the beginning of a week long protest aimed at the G-20 by Bail Out The People and sponsored by the Monumental Baptist Church. The group is also maintaining a tent city next to the church populated by jobless citizens and volunteers.
Several hundred people participated in the march, chanting and calling for a public jobs program. Although police presence was evident the crowd was peaceful and tensions were at ease.
Once the march arrived at Freedom corner State Sentaor Jim Ferlo addressed the crowd. He denounced President Obama for saying in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article published Sunday that "having protests about abstractions [such] as global capitalism or something, generally is not really going to make a difference."
The G-20 will be meeting at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on September 24-25.
For more images of the march click on the slideshow below.
For more info:www.bailoutpeople.org, www.pittsburghg20.org
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Pittsburgh labor and community coalitions held two marches Sunday, Sept. 20 demanding jobs and immediate relief for the unemployed aimed at the G20 meetings starting on Thursday, Sept. 24.
The marches are part of a week of demonstrations, cultural events, teach-ins and workshops protesting global economic policies that benefit transnational corporations and capital at the expense of labor, workers, their families and the environment.
New York Health Care Workers Resist Flu Vaccine Rule
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. and KAREN ZRAICK
When she cleans the rooms of patients with swine flu symptoms, Jana Newton, a housekeeper at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, has to suit up for her own protection in a mask, gloves, gown and hairnet.
But she still does not want the one thing that would give her a far better defense — a flu shot.
“Some people’s immune system is good, like me,” Ms. Newton said. “I’ve been here five years and never been sick. Why mess with something that’s not broken?”
She is not alone. Across the country, federal health officials say, only about 42 percent of all health care workers get an annual flu shot. That is little better than the overall national average of 33 percent and far below the 65 to 70 percent rate for the elderly.
That’s why the emergency regulation adopted this summer by the State Health Department making all hospital, home health and hospice workers get seasonal and swine flu vaccinations was a startling and radical step.
No other state or city health department has such a rule. Local unions reacted angrily, saying they had not been consulted.
Joel Shufro, executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, a coalition of 200 union locals, said the change was presented to them “as a done deal” on Aug. 17. His coalition is still debating suing to stop it, he said.
The unions do not oppose vaccination “but we oppose a mandatory program,” he said. “This is: ‘You don’t get the shot, you’re fired.’ ”
Some prominent health experts, however, were delighted.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called New York’s move “a big deal.”
She had pushed for years for mandatory vaccinations — not just to protect health care workers, she explained, but to protect their patients, who are often aged, have weakened immune systems or are bedridden after surgery, which increases pneumonia risks.
“We tried to market the idea, to push people, to educate,” she said. “But looking back, broadly speaking, we failed. It’s time to look at a more aggressive approach.”
By contrast, her successor, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, said last month that even though he expected a surge in swine flu deaths this winter and even though C.D.C. guidelines give health care workers first priority for the new vaccine, he would not push to make vaccinations mandatory.
“This is just not the right flu season to take this on,” said Dr. Frieden, who previously was the New York City health commissioner.
C.D.C. experts said there was just too much confusion this year, with the logistical difficulties of getting both seasonal and swine flu vaccinations to workers and the fact that the swine flu vaccine is still being tested, to risk a fight over the issue now.
On Friday, federal health officials said more than three million doses of swine flu vaccine would be available by the first week of October. But they also reported “widespread” swine flu activity in 21 states, with summer not even over.
Every state already requires health workers to be immunized against measles, mumps and polio, and the unions do not object. Also, federal law requires their employers to offer free hepatitis shots against needle-stick injuries, and California requires them to offer free flu shots too. While workers may decline, they must sign a form saying they accept the risk.
Immunologists generally agree that real protection against any disease requires vaccination rates over 90 percent. But because rumors always circulate and many people fear needles, voluntary acceptance never gets that high.
Only two hospital groups in the country, Virginia Mason in Seattle and BJC HealthCare in St. Louis, now make all their employees get flu shots or face dismissal, said Dr. Thomas R. Talbot, an epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who studies the issue. Both groups reached vaccination rates of more than 98 percent and he knew of five more planning to follow suit, he said.
Many hospitals make voluntary vaccination easier by using roving “shot carts,” drive-up shots and rewards like time off or a raffle for a Caribbean vacation. Tom Lowe, occupational health representative for the New York State Nurses Association, said he had heard some had reached 80 percent that way, though he could not name any.
Dr. Talbot said that, of the handful of hospitals he knew of that achieved more than 75 percent voluntarily, some used measures that were not entirely voluntary — workers who refuse must wear masks at all times or are told notes will be put in their personnel files.
With volunteers, “the best you can get is usually 50 to 60 percent,” said Dr. William Schaffner, president-elect of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a longtime proponent of mandatory shots.
Complying with the new state rule, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the city’s public hospitals, announced on Aug. 28 that seasonal and swine flu vaccinations would now be mandatory for all its workers. The corporation already requires an annual tuberculosis test, as well as evidence of measles and rubella vaccinations. Its previous flu shot program, which was voluntary, reached only 51 percent of workers last flu season.
Flu shots and attitudes toward them have changed slowly. The shots were invented in 1942 by the military, but became widespread only in the 1990s after Medicare began paying for them.
They have also been “cleaned up” as viral parts replaced whole killed virus, and filtering to remove stray proteins from the eggs they are grown in improved.
“Older health care workers remember the days when it gave you a sore arm and made you feel crummy,” Dr. Schaffner said of the shot. “That’s why some avoid it.”
Also, although the original intent was to protect the recipient and cut down on absenteeism, it slowly became clear that in hospitals, fewer flus in doctors and nurses meant fewer dead patients.
“I was an epidemiologist at San Francisco General in the early 1990s,” Dr. Gerberding said. “Among bone marrow transplant patients and others who were profoundly immune-suppressed, outbreaks of flu and other viruses could be very deadly. That changed the paradigm.”
Still, many workers dislike them.
Anthony Montero, 55, a dietary aide at Lutheran Augustana Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, said he was afraid of needles, but added: “If it’s a must, it’s a must.”
Patrind Rungreang, 45, an X-ray technician at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, said he had no problem with being vaccinated if it was mandatory. But he felt the fear of swine flu was overblown.
“It’s just another flu,” he said. “We deal with all kinds of diseases here.”
Many poorly educated workers still believe flu shots cause flu, Dr. Schaffner said. Though that is impossible, because it is only parts of a dead virus, the myth persists and is reinforced every time someone gets a shot and then catches a cold, which it does not prevent.
This year’s rushed testing has added to fears.
Surveys of 8,500 Hong Kong health-care workers published last month in BMJ, formerly The British Medical Journal, found that more than half planned to refuse the new vaccine if they could.
The unions also object because no flu shot protects perfectly. As the virus mutates, new vaccines must be made each year, and in some years, like 2005, the flu mutates so quickly “that it’s really a crapshoot in terms of matching the strain,” said Jan S. Rodolfo, a nurse and a flu expert at the California Nurses Association, which represents 86,000 nurses in several states.
Over all, virologists say, of every 100 people who faithfully get flu shots, only about 70 are fully protected every year. But even the other 30 are partly protected by previous shots and by “herd immunity” — the fewer unprotected victims a virus finds, the faster it fades out.
David Welch, a cardiac unit nurse in Chico, Calif., who blogs about health issues for the California Nurses Association, said he got injected to protect himself and his patients, “but I want to defend the rights of other people not to get it. It’s not an easy choice.”
When she cleans the rooms of patients with swine flu symptoms, Jana Newton, a housekeeper at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, has to suit up for her own protection in a mask, gloves, gown and hairnet.
But she still does not want the one thing that would give her a far better defense — a flu shot.
“Some people’s immune system is good, like me,” Ms. Newton said. “I’ve been here five years and never been sick. Why mess with something that’s not broken?”
She is not alone. Across the country, federal health officials say, only about 42 percent of all health care workers get an annual flu shot. That is little better than the overall national average of 33 percent and far below the 65 to 70 percent rate for the elderly.
That’s why the emergency regulation adopted this summer by the State Health Department making all hospital, home health and hospice workers get seasonal and swine flu vaccinations was a startling and radical step.
No other state or city health department has such a rule. Local unions reacted angrily, saying they had not been consulted.
Joel Shufro, executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, a coalition of 200 union locals, said the change was presented to them “as a done deal” on Aug. 17. His coalition is still debating suing to stop it, he said.
The unions do not oppose vaccination “but we oppose a mandatory program,” he said. “This is: ‘You don’t get the shot, you’re fired.’ ”
Some prominent health experts, however, were delighted.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called New York’s move “a big deal.”
She had pushed for years for mandatory vaccinations — not just to protect health care workers, she explained, but to protect their patients, who are often aged, have weakened immune systems or are bedridden after surgery, which increases pneumonia risks.
“We tried to market the idea, to push people, to educate,” she said. “But looking back, broadly speaking, we failed. It’s time to look at a more aggressive approach.”
By contrast, her successor, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, said last month that even though he expected a surge in swine flu deaths this winter and even though C.D.C. guidelines give health care workers first priority for the new vaccine, he would not push to make vaccinations mandatory.
“This is just not the right flu season to take this on,” said Dr. Frieden, who previously was the New York City health commissioner.
C.D.C. experts said there was just too much confusion this year, with the logistical difficulties of getting both seasonal and swine flu vaccinations to workers and the fact that the swine flu vaccine is still being tested, to risk a fight over the issue now.
On Friday, federal health officials said more than three million doses of swine flu vaccine would be available by the first week of October. But they also reported “widespread” swine flu activity in 21 states, with summer not even over.
Every state already requires health workers to be immunized against measles, mumps and polio, and the unions do not object. Also, federal law requires their employers to offer free hepatitis shots against needle-stick injuries, and California requires them to offer free flu shots too. While workers may decline, they must sign a form saying they accept the risk.
Immunologists generally agree that real protection against any disease requires vaccination rates over 90 percent. But because rumors always circulate and many people fear needles, voluntary acceptance never gets that high.
Only two hospital groups in the country, Virginia Mason in Seattle and BJC HealthCare in St. Louis, now make all their employees get flu shots or face dismissal, said Dr. Thomas R. Talbot, an epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who studies the issue. Both groups reached vaccination rates of more than 98 percent and he knew of five more planning to follow suit, he said.
Many hospitals make voluntary vaccination easier by using roving “shot carts,” drive-up shots and rewards like time off or a raffle for a Caribbean vacation. Tom Lowe, occupational health representative for the New York State Nurses Association, said he had heard some had reached 80 percent that way, though he could not name any.
Dr. Talbot said that, of the handful of hospitals he knew of that achieved more than 75 percent voluntarily, some used measures that were not entirely voluntary — workers who refuse must wear masks at all times or are told notes will be put in their personnel files.
With volunteers, “the best you can get is usually 50 to 60 percent,” said Dr. William Schaffner, president-elect of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a longtime proponent of mandatory shots.
Complying with the new state rule, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the city’s public hospitals, announced on Aug. 28 that seasonal and swine flu vaccinations would now be mandatory for all its workers. The corporation already requires an annual tuberculosis test, as well as evidence of measles and rubella vaccinations. Its previous flu shot program, which was voluntary, reached only 51 percent of workers last flu season.
Flu shots and attitudes toward them have changed slowly. The shots were invented in 1942 by the military, but became widespread only in the 1990s after Medicare began paying for them.
They have also been “cleaned up” as viral parts replaced whole killed virus, and filtering to remove stray proteins from the eggs they are grown in improved.
“Older health care workers remember the days when it gave you a sore arm and made you feel crummy,” Dr. Schaffner said of the shot. “That’s why some avoid it.”
Also, although the original intent was to protect the recipient and cut down on absenteeism, it slowly became clear that in hospitals, fewer flus in doctors and nurses meant fewer dead patients.
“I was an epidemiologist at San Francisco General in the early 1990s,” Dr. Gerberding said. “Among bone marrow transplant patients and others who were profoundly immune-suppressed, outbreaks of flu and other viruses could be very deadly. That changed the paradigm.”
Still, many workers dislike them.
Anthony Montero, 55, a dietary aide at Lutheran Augustana Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, said he was afraid of needles, but added: “If it’s a must, it’s a must.”
Patrind Rungreang, 45, an X-ray technician at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, said he had no problem with being vaccinated if it was mandatory. But he felt the fear of swine flu was overblown.
“It’s just another flu,” he said. “We deal with all kinds of diseases here.”
Many poorly educated workers still believe flu shots cause flu, Dr. Schaffner said. Though that is impossible, because it is only parts of a dead virus, the myth persists and is reinforced every time someone gets a shot and then catches a cold, which it does not prevent.
This year’s rushed testing has added to fears.
Surveys of 8,500 Hong Kong health-care workers published last month in BMJ, formerly The British Medical Journal, found that more than half planned to refuse the new vaccine if they could.
The unions also object because no flu shot protects perfectly. As the virus mutates, new vaccines must be made each year, and in some years, like 2005, the flu mutates so quickly “that it’s really a crapshoot in terms of matching the strain,” said Jan S. Rodolfo, a nurse and a flu expert at the California Nurses Association, which represents 86,000 nurses in several states.
Over all, virologists say, of every 100 people who faithfully get flu shots, only about 70 are fully protected every year. But even the other 30 are partly protected by previous shots and by “herd immunity” — the fewer unprotected victims a virus finds, the faster it fades out.
David Welch, a cardiac unit nurse in Chico, Calif., who blogs about health issues for the California Nurses Association, said he got injected to protect himself and his patients, “but I want to defend the rights of other people not to get it. It’s not an easy choice.”
Swine flu hotline staff are 'making deadly errors'
By Daniel Martin
Doctors across the country believe patients are dying because of blunders by staff at swine flu call centres.
Serious illnesses such as meningitis, tonsillitis and pneumonia had been missed by the untrained staff, they said.
Thirty-seven per cent of GPs told researchers they have had to pick up the pieces of treating those wrongly told by operators they had swine flu.
Judgment calls: Employees at an NHS centre in Watford, Herts
Judgment calls: Employees at an NHS centre in Watford, Herts
And three doctors said their patients had died as a result of the errors, amid fears that many more cases have gone unreported.
The research by Pulse magazine revealed that 91 per cent of GPs believe Tamiflu should no longer be given to everyone with swine flu symptoms for fear this could lead to the virus developing resistance.
The survey also underlines growing concern over the effectiveness of the National Pandemic Flu Service hotline.
At the height of the epidemic last month, the Mail revealed that lines were being staffed by 16-year-olds waiting for their GCSE results.
One GP, who said he did not want to be identified, told Pulse a patient had died of meningitis after an incorrect telephone diagnosis.
Two other doctors, one from Dorset and the other from Wiltshire, said their patients had died in similar circumstances.
Another doctor in Derbyshire said a three-year-old had been diagnosed with swine flu and given Tamiflu by the hotline - but was subsequently diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and admitted to hospital.
The GP said: 'It was unlikely she ever had swine flu. It's near-impossible to diagnose a febrile illness over the phone, and I am afraid one could miss meningitis or other serious illnesses by presuming it is swine flu.'
A doctor on Tyneside said one of her patients, first thought to have had swine flu, had subsequently been diagnosed with salmonella, and was admitted to hospital after becoming severely dehydrated.
Ellen Wright, a GP in Greenwich, South-East London, said there had been many reports of adverse reactions to Tamiflu, which was given to hundreds of schoolchildren early on in the outbreak.
'There have been a lot of complications, especially in children given it in schools and at the beginning of the outbreak, and I suspect that's what a lot of GPs have been seeing,' she said.
'There's new evidence that resistance is developing in the U.S., and their Food and Drugs Administration is reviewing its policy. It's time for the Department of Health to review it too.'
A range of lesser Tamiflu side effects were reported by GPs, including vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy.
Last year, there were 3,000 cases of meningitis with 300 deaths and hundreds left disabled.
The early symptoms can easily be mistaken for those of flu and include fever, headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright light, drowsiness, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, confusion and in some cases, but not all, a rash.
Bridie Taylor, education director of the Meningitis Trust, said: 'We are urging everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms as the colder months begin to creep in.
'It is all the more important to err on the side of caution and seek medical attention as a matter of urgency if you suspect the disease.'
dailymail.co.uk
Doctors across the country believe patients are dying because of blunders by staff at swine flu call centres.
Serious illnesses such as meningitis, tonsillitis and pneumonia had been missed by the untrained staff, they said.
Thirty-seven per cent of GPs told researchers they have had to pick up the pieces of treating those wrongly told by operators they had swine flu.
Judgment calls: Employees at an NHS centre in Watford, Herts
Judgment calls: Employees at an NHS centre in Watford, Herts
And three doctors said their patients had died as a result of the errors, amid fears that many more cases have gone unreported.
The research by Pulse magazine revealed that 91 per cent of GPs believe Tamiflu should no longer be given to everyone with swine flu symptoms for fear this could lead to the virus developing resistance.
The survey also underlines growing concern over the effectiveness of the National Pandemic Flu Service hotline.
At the height of the epidemic last month, the Mail revealed that lines were being staffed by 16-year-olds waiting for their GCSE results.
One GP, who said he did not want to be identified, told Pulse a patient had died of meningitis after an incorrect telephone diagnosis.
Two other doctors, one from Dorset and the other from Wiltshire, said their patients had died in similar circumstances.
Another doctor in Derbyshire said a three-year-old had been diagnosed with swine flu and given Tamiflu by the hotline - but was subsequently diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and admitted to hospital.
The GP said: 'It was unlikely she ever had swine flu. It's near-impossible to diagnose a febrile illness over the phone, and I am afraid one could miss meningitis or other serious illnesses by presuming it is swine flu.'
A doctor on Tyneside said one of her patients, first thought to have had swine flu, had subsequently been diagnosed with salmonella, and was admitted to hospital after becoming severely dehydrated.
Ellen Wright, a GP in Greenwich, South-East London, said there had been many reports of adverse reactions to Tamiflu, which was given to hundreds of schoolchildren early on in the outbreak.
'There have been a lot of complications, especially in children given it in schools and at the beginning of the outbreak, and I suspect that's what a lot of GPs have been seeing,' she said.
'There's new evidence that resistance is developing in the U.S., and their Food and Drugs Administration is reviewing its policy. It's time for the Department of Health to review it too.'
A range of lesser Tamiflu side effects were reported by GPs, including vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy.
Last year, there were 3,000 cases of meningitis with 300 deaths and hundreds left disabled.
The early symptoms can easily be mistaken for those of flu and include fever, headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright light, drowsiness, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, confusion and in some cases, but not all, a rash.
Bridie Taylor, education director of the Meningitis Trust, said: 'We are urging everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms as the colder months begin to creep in.
'It is all the more important to err on the side of caution and seek medical attention as a matter of urgency if you suspect the disease.'
dailymail.co.uk
Hungary To Start Mass Swine Flu Vaccinations Sep 29 - Official
BUDAPEST -(Dow Jones)- Hungary will start the distribution of 2 million doses of its A/H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine Sept. 29, Chief Medical Officer Ferenc Falus said Monday.
"There is no other country where enough vaccine for 20% of its would be ready for use by Oct. 1," Falus said at a press conference.
The human testing of the vaccine will also be concluded Sept. 29, but preliminary results are so satisfactory that the vaccine is considered effective, Falus said.
Hungary will distribute a total of 6 million doses over a few weeks from Sept. 29.
The 6 million doses, which the government ordered from Hungarian vaccine manufacturer Omninvest Kft., will cover around 60% of the population of about 10 million. To stop any epidemic, half the population has to be vaccinated, Falus said.
Four million doses will be free of charge and administered to children, pregnant women, those younger than 60 with a chronic illness, and health care workers, among others. The remaining 2 million doses will be sold through pharmacies for less than 2,000 forints ($10.80) a dose but the exact timing for starting the sales is yet unknown, Falus said.
"There is no other country where enough vaccine for 20% of its would be ready for use by Oct. 1," Falus said at a press conference.
The human testing of the vaccine will also be concluded Sept. 29, but preliminary results are so satisfactory that the vaccine is considered effective, Falus said.
Hungary will distribute a total of 6 million doses over a few weeks from Sept. 29.
The 6 million doses, which the government ordered from Hungarian vaccine manufacturer Omninvest Kft., will cover around 60% of the population of about 10 million. To stop any epidemic, half the population has to be vaccinated, Falus said.
Four million doses will be free of charge and administered to children, pregnant women, those younger than 60 with a chronic illness, and health care workers, among others. The remaining 2 million doses will be sold through pharmacies for less than 2,000 forints ($10.80) a dose but the exact timing for starting the sales is yet unknown, Falus said.
Swine flu virus hasn't mutated, WHO chief says
HONG KONG (AP) - The swine flu virus hasn't mutated into a more deadly strain but there are early signs it is developing resistance to vaccine, the World Heath Organization's chief said Monday.
Authorities are monitoring closely whether the virus was morphing into more virulent forms that would make it deadlier, the organization's Director-General Margaret Chan said.
"We are not seeing that situation right now," Chan told reporters as the WHO convened a conference in Hong Kong.
The WHO says the swine flu virus - also known as H1N1 - has killed almost 3,486 people worldwide as of Aug. 13. South America and North America account for the majority of deaths.
For now, the infection is generally mild and most people recover without treatment. But should it become deadlier, developing nations could be especially vulnerable because those populations lack adequate health care and are already fighting a myriad of diseases including AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Chan said manufacturers were on track to develop billions of new doses of the vaccine over the next year. The vaccine is highly effective against the swine flu virus, though there were a small number of instances - about 25 in the world - of a vaccine-resistant flu.
Swine flu virus has not mutated 'into more serious disease'
By Eleanor Wason (AFP) – 22 hours ago
HONG KONG — The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that the swine flu virus had apparently not yet mutated into a more serious disease and that the development of vaccines was proceeding on track.
The vaccines for (A)H1N1 influenza produced so far have been very effective, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said at the opening ceremony for the organisation's annual Western Pacific meeting in Hong Kong.
"The virus can mutate any time. But from April to now, we can see from the data given to us by laboratories worldwide that the virus is still very similar (to the previous state)," Chan told reporters.
Ideally, three billion doses of vaccines could be produced worldwide annually, she added, noting that China had already begun to vaccinate people.
She also said the Hong Kong government could relax its measures against a swine flu outbreak "step-by-step", advising them in the long-run to focus resources on saving patients and reducing the number of serious cases.
Chan said that only high-risk patients such as the elderly, the obese and those with underlying illnesses would be severely affected by the disease.
Swine flu in Hong Kong has raised fears of a repeat of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, when almost 300 people died and concern about the mysterious disease turned the metropolis into a virtual ghost town.
Chan managed Hong Kong's response to avian influenza and SARS during her nine-year stint as Hong Kong's director of health.
Top of the agenda for the WHO's meeting this week will be how to combat the swine flu pandemic in developing nations.
While the Americas still has the highest death toll from the virus, cases are expected to increase in the region as the northern hemisphere enters winter.
There are fears that poorer countries will not get enough vaccines, despite a pledge last week by the United States and eight other nations to make 10 percent of their swine flu vaccine supply available to others in need.
Developing countries are not only unable to produce the vaccine for the A(H1N1) flu virus but their people are more vulnerable to infection because of poverty, crowded living conditions and lack of healthcare, according to the WHO.
In the Western Pacific there are about a million people living in poor conditions without access to healthcare, WHO regional director Shin Young-soo told reporters Sunday.
Authorities are monitoring closely whether the virus was morphing into more virulent forms that would make it deadlier, the organization's Director-General Margaret Chan said.
"We are not seeing that situation right now," Chan told reporters as the WHO convened a conference in Hong Kong.
The WHO says the swine flu virus - also known as H1N1 - has killed almost 3,486 people worldwide as of Aug. 13. South America and North America account for the majority of deaths.
For now, the infection is generally mild and most people recover without treatment. But should it become deadlier, developing nations could be especially vulnerable because those populations lack adequate health care and are already fighting a myriad of diseases including AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Chan said manufacturers were on track to develop billions of new doses of the vaccine over the next year. The vaccine is highly effective against the swine flu virus, though there were a small number of instances - about 25 in the world - of a vaccine-resistant flu.
Swine flu virus has not mutated 'into more serious disease'
By Eleanor Wason (AFP) – 22 hours ago
HONG KONG — The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that the swine flu virus had apparently not yet mutated into a more serious disease and that the development of vaccines was proceeding on track.
The vaccines for (A)H1N1 influenza produced so far have been very effective, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said at the opening ceremony for the organisation's annual Western Pacific meeting in Hong Kong.
"The virus can mutate any time. But from April to now, we can see from the data given to us by laboratories worldwide that the virus is still very similar (to the previous state)," Chan told reporters.
Ideally, three billion doses of vaccines could be produced worldwide annually, she added, noting that China had already begun to vaccinate people.
She also said the Hong Kong government could relax its measures against a swine flu outbreak "step-by-step", advising them in the long-run to focus resources on saving patients and reducing the number of serious cases.
Chan said that only high-risk patients such as the elderly, the obese and those with underlying illnesses would be severely affected by the disease.
Swine flu in Hong Kong has raised fears of a repeat of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, when almost 300 people died and concern about the mysterious disease turned the metropolis into a virtual ghost town.
Chan managed Hong Kong's response to avian influenza and SARS during her nine-year stint as Hong Kong's director of health.
Top of the agenda for the WHO's meeting this week will be how to combat the swine flu pandemic in developing nations.
While the Americas still has the highest death toll from the virus, cases are expected to increase in the region as the northern hemisphere enters winter.
There are fears that poorer countries will not get enough vaccines, despite a pledge last week by the United States and eight other nations to make 10 percent of their swine flu vaccine supply available to others in need.
Developing countries are not only unable to produce the vaccine for the A(H1N1) flu virus but their people are more vulnerable to infection because of poverty, crowded living conditions and lack of healthcare, according to the WHO.
In the Western Pacific there are about a million people living in poor conditions without access to healthcare, WHO regional director Shin Young-soo told reporters Sunday.
Government triples order for swine flu vaccines from MedImmune
MedImmune said the federal government has more than tripled its order of swine flu vaccines from the local biotech, bringing the government’s total purchases up to $453 million since May.
In a $302 million contract, the Department of Health and Human Services has ordered 29 million more doses of MedImmune’s H1N1 flu vaccine, which recently won federal approval from the Food and Drug Administration to be used in cases of emergency for anyone 2 to 49 years of age.
This is MedImmune’s third contract since the spring and summer, when the federal agency ordered a total 13 million doses from the local biotech, which is owned by London-based AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN).
MedImmune said it’s already produced enough bulk vaccine to fill those HHS orders -- the company has said it has the capacity to produce 200 million doses -- and it said the FDA has already begun releasing its first 3.4 million doses of its FluMist-based product.
Public health authorities will determine who receives the doses, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have said they expect the distribution process to mirror those for pediatric vaccines. The agency said up to 90,000 provider sites may receive the swine flu vaccines, depending at first on need, and orders should start shipping out to health agencies in early October.
MedImmune’s vaccine, which uses a live attenuated version of the now pandemic-status virus, is based on its seasonal FluMist intranasal spray format. MedImmune is one of four companies nationwide whose swine flu vaccine has been approved by federal regulators for use on the disease, which has now infected residents in all 50 states.
In a $302 million contract, the Department of Health and Human Services has ordered 29 million more doses of MedImmune’s H1N1 flu vaccine, which recently won federal approval from the Food and Drug Administration to be used in cases of emergency for anyone 2 to 49 years of age.
This is MedImmune’s third contract since the spring and summer, when the federal agency ordered a total 13 million doses from the local biotech, which is owned by London-based AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN).
MedImmune said it’s already produced enough bulk vaccine to fill those HHS orders -- the company has said it has the capacity to produce 200 million doses -- and it said the FDA has already begun releasing its first 3.4 million doses of its FluMist-based product.
Public health authorities will determine who receives the doses, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have said they expect the distribution process to mirror those for pediatric vaccines. The agency said up to 90,000 provider sites may receive the swine flu vaccines, depending at first on need, and orders should start shipping out to health agencies in early October.
MedImmune’s vaccine, which uses a live attenuated version of the now pandemic-status virus, is based on its seasonal FluMist intranasal spray format. MedImmune is one of four companies nationwide whose swine flu vaccine has been approved by federal regulators for use on the disease, which has now infected residents in all 50 states.
Feds mum over legal protection for swine flu vaccine makers
By Steve Rennie (CP) – 1 day ago
OTTAWA — The federal government won't say if Canadians who suffer harmful side effects from the new swine flu shot can take the vaccine maker to court.
The Public Health Agency of Canada will not reveal whether drug companies are shielded from H1N1 flu vaccine lawsuits in this country like they are in the United States.
"This is a complex issue which is currently being examined by the federal government," spokeswoman Nadia Mostafa said in an email.
"It raises legal questions involving federal/provincial and public/private sector jurisdictions. The federal government will provide additional details around this issue in due course, following appropriate discussions/deliberations."
That effectively throws a shroud over Ottawa's arrangement with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which has a contract to produce 50.4 million doses of pandemic vaccine at its facility in Ste-Foy, Que.
Conversely, the United States has been open about its decision to protect vaccine makers, government officials and others from lawsuits over the vaccine.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has granted legal immunity to "individuals and entities involved in all stages of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine development, testing, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, administration, and use," says a U.S. Health Department website.
That protection doesn't extend to harm caused by wilful misconduct.
GlaxoSmithKline was as tight-lipped as the Public Health Agency when asked if it was protected from Canadian lawsuits over its vaccine.
"GSK is discussing issues relating to potential liability exposure associated with pandemic preparedness products, including vaccines, in the context of its pandemic planning negotiations with all governments, including the Canadian government," company spokeswoman Michelle Smolenaars Hunter said in an email.
"The details of the contract negotiations with the Canadian government are confidential and cannot be discussed further."
Vaccine makers in the U.S. have been protected from lawsuits over the use of childhood vaccines since the 1980s. Instead, a federal court handles claims and decides who will be paid from a special fund.
The decision to protect vaccine makers came after the 1976 swine flu outbreak, when 40 million Americans were vaccinated in a national campaign.
But that scare never morphed into the deadly pandemic officials feared.
Instead it touched off a flurry of injury claims from Americans who suffered side effects from the vaccine - including about 500 people who developed a paralysing condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
However, that syndrome was never conclusively linked to the 1976 swine flu shot, and experts don't think a repeat is likely.
Paul Harte, a medical negligence trial lawyer in Toronto, said it's very rare pharmaceutical companies are sued in Canada over flu vaccines.
Vaccines always carry some risk, he said, and as long as the public knows the risks companies are generally not held liable.
"The reality is that both pharmaceutical and medical negligence cases are relatively rare in Canada," Harte said.
"They are a tiny proportion of civil actions in Canada, and appear with much less frequency than in the United States."
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal government won't say if Canadians who suffer harmful side effects from the new swine flu shot can take the vaccine maker to court.
The Public Health Agency of Canada will not reveal whether drug companies are shielded from H1N1 flu vaccine lawsuits in this country like they are in the United States.
"This is a complex issue which is currently being examined by the federal government," spokeswoman Nadia Mostafa said in an email.
"It raises legal questions involving federal/provincial and public/private sector jurisdictions. The federal government will provide additional details around this issue in due course, following appropriate discussions/deliberations."
That effectively throws a shroud over Ottawa's arrangement with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which has a contract to produce 50.4 million doses of pandemic vaccine at its facility in Ste-Foy, Que.
Conversely, the United States has been open about its decision to protect vaccine makers, government officials and others from lawsuits over the vaccine.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has granted legal immunity to "individuals and entities involved in all stages of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine development, testing, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, administration, and use," says a U.S. Health Department website.
That protection doesn't extend to harm caused by wilful misconduct.
GlaxoSmithKline was as tight-lipped as the Public Health Agency when asked if it was protected from Canadian lawsuits over its vaccine.
"GSK is discussing issues relating to potential liability exposure associated with pandemic preparedness products, including vaccines, in the context of its pandemic planning negotiations with all governments, including the Canadian government," company spokeswoman Michelle Smolenaars Hunter said in an email.
"The details of the contract negotiations with the Canadian government are confidential and cannot be discussed further."
Vaccine makers in the U.S. have been protected from lawsuits over the use of childhood vaccines since the 1980s. Instead, a federal court handles claims and decides who will be paid from a special fund.
The decision to protect vaccine makers came after the 1976 swine flu outbreak, when 40 million Americans were vaccinated in a national campaign.
But that scare never morphed into the deadly pandemic officials feared.
Instead it touched off a flurry of injury claims from Americans who suffered side effects from the vaccine - including about 500 people who developed a paralysing condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
However, that syndrome was never conclusively linked to the 1976 swine flu shot, and experts don't think a repeat is likely.
Paul Harte, a medical negligence trial lawyer in Toronto, said it's very rare pharmaceutical companies are sued in Canada over flu vaccines.
Vaccines always carry some risk, he said, and as long as the public knows the risks companies are generally not held liable.
"The reality is that both pharmaceutical and medical negligence cases are relatively rare in Canada," Harte said.
"They are a tiny proportion of civil actions in Canada, and appear with much less frequency than in the United States."
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press
Over a third of GP surgeries have seen patients suffering complications after being misdiagnosed with swine flu
Patients suffer complications after swine flu misdiagnosed
Over a third of GP surgeries have seen patients suffering complications after being misdiagnosed with swine flu including at least three deaths, a survey suggests.
Family doctors have reported effects ranging from mild adverse reactions to the antiviral drug Tamiflu to severe case of tonsillitis, meningitis and pneumonia.
Three out of 205 family doctors and practice managers surveyed by the health magazine Pulse reported a patient dying after being misdiagnosed.
Ninety one per cent of those polled called on the Government to review its policy of offering Tamiflu to all patients with swine flu symptoms.
The findings have been published within days of Government figures showing a jump in the number of swine flu cases in the last week.
Experts have been predicting a second wave of the disease will hit the UK in the winter months after a lull during the summer break.
There have been 67 deaths linked to the virus in England, nine in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
More than 1.3 million people have been assed via the National Pandemic Flu Service for England with 522,890 collecting anti-viral drugs.
The Government is currently waiting for European regulators to license a swine flu vaccine before issuing it to health workers and at-risk groups across the UK.
Earlier this month prescribing experts called for the NHS to urgently review the use of Tamiflu, with concerns that the public has been misled about the effectiveness of the drug.
One GP, who did not want to be identified, told Pulse that a patient had died from meningitis after being wrongly diagnosed over the telephone.
Two other practices, in Dorset and Wiltshire, also reported that one of their patients had died. There has been a range of lesser side-effect to anti-viral treatment including, diarrhoea, vomiting and lethargy.
Dr Ellen Wright, a GP in Greenwich, south London, whose son contracted swine flu early in the first wave, said mild adverse reactions to anti-viral drugs had been widely reported.
She added: “There have been a lot of complications, especially in children given it in schools at the beginning of the outbreak, and I suspect that is what a lot of GPs have been seeing.”
A family doctor in Derbyshire reported the case a three year old girl who was diagnosed with swine flu and prescribed Tamiflu by the National Pandemic Flu Service.
She was later found to have bacterial pneumonia and admitted to hospital a few days later.
The GP said: “It was unlikely she ever had swine flu. It is near-impossible to diagnose a febrile illness over the phone, and I am afraid one could miss meningitis or other serious illnesses by presuming it is wine flu.”
Another GP in Tyne and Wear reported that one of her patients who was initially thought to have swine flu was later diagnosed with salmonella.
The patient was later admitted to hospital after extreme dehydration as a result of the food poisoning.
A deal has been struck with GPs in the UK, who will receive £5.25 for each dose of the swine flu vaccine they give to patients.
It is hoped that at-risk groups, such as those with diabetes or asthma, will be able to get their normal seasonal flu jab at the same time.
However, GPs are being told not to hold off starting the seasonal flu vaccine programme until the swine flu vaccine arrives.
A total of 132 million doses have been ordered by the UK Government - enough for the entire population with two doses each.
Over a third of GP surgeries have seen patients suffering complications after being misdiagnosed with swine flu including at least three deaths, a survey suggests.
Family doctors have reported effects ranging from mild adverse reactions to the antiviral drug Tamiflu to severe case of tonsillitis, meningitis and pneumonia.
Three out of 205 family doctors and practice managers surveyed by the health magazine Pulse reported a patient dying after being misdiagnosed.
Ninety one per cent of those polled called on the Government to review its policy of offering Tamiflu to all patients with swine flu symptoms.
The findings have been published within days of Government figures showing a jump in the number of swine flu cases in the last week.
Experts have been predicting a second wave of the disease will hit the UK in the winter months after a lull during the summer break.
There have been 67 deaths linked to the virus in England, nine in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
More than 1.3 million people have been assed via the National Pandemic Flu Service for England with 522,890 collecting anti-viral drugs.
The Government is currently waiting for European regulators to license a swine flu vaccine before issuing it to health workers and at-risk groups across the UK.
Earlier this month prescribing experts called for the NHS to urgently review the use of Tamiflu, with concerns that the public has been misled about the effectiveness of the drug.
One GP, who did not want to be identified, told Pulse that a patient had died from meningitis after being wrongly diagnosed over the telephone.
Two other practices, in Dorset and Wiltshire, also reported that one of their patients had died. There has been a range of lesser side-effect to anti-viral treatment including, diarrhoea, vomiting and lethargy.
Dr Ellen Wright, a GP in Greenwich, south London, whose son contracted swine flu early in the first wave, said mild adverse reactions to anti-viral drugs had been widely reported.
She added: “There have been a lot of complications, especially in children given it in schools at the beginning of the outbreak, and I suspect that is what a lot of GPs have been seeing.”
A family doctor in Derbyshire reported the case a three year old girl who was diagnosed with swine flu and prescribed Tamiflu by the National Pandemic Flu Service.
She was later found to have bacterial pneumonia and admitted to hospital a few days later.
The GP said: “It was unlikely she ever had swine flu. It is near-impossible to diagnose a febrile illness over the phone, and I am afraid one could miss meningitis or other serious illnesses by presuming it is wine flu.”
Another GP in Tyne and Wear reported that one of her patients who was initially thought to have swine flu was later diagnosed with salmonella.
The patient was later admitted to hospital after extreme dehydration as a result of the food poisoning.
A deal has been struck with GPs in the UK, who will receive £5.25 for each dose of the swine flu vaccine they give to patients.
It is hoped that at-risk groups, such as those with diabetes or asthma, will be able to get their normal seasonal flu jab at the same time.
However, GPs are being told not to hold off starting the seasonal flu vaccine programme until the swine flu vaccine arrives.
A total of 132 million doses have been ordered by the UK Government - enough for the entire population with two doses each.
nurses to rally against mandatory swine flu vaccines
Dozens of Long Island nurses - many from Stony Brook University Medical Center - plan to rally with health care workers from across the state next week in Albany to protest a state regulation that mandates they be vaccinated for swine flu or lose their jobs.
The New York State Department of Health issued an emergency regulation in August that requires all health care workers in hospitals, public health clinics, hospices and in home health care be immunized against seasonal and swine flu. But it is the mandated swine flu shot that has angered the workers, who claim the vaccine has not been fully tested.
The New York State Nurses Association, which represents 37,000 nurses, supports opposition to mandatory vaccination.
"We as an organization have not questioned the safety of the vaccine," said Nancy Webber, spokeswoman for the association. "We see this as an issue of workers' rights."
The Public Employees Federation, which represents 9,000 nurses statewide and 3,000 health care workers - nurses and others - at Stony Brook alone, agrees with the nurses' group.
Nurses say they were never consulted before officials wrote the regulation.
"This vaccine has not been clinically tested to the same degree as the regular flu vaccine," said Tara Accavallo, a registered nurse in Stony Brook's neonatal intensive care unit, the division that has produced a number of protesters. "If something happens to me, if I get seriously injured from this vaccine, who's going to help me?"
Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as infectious disease specialists on Long Island say the H1N1 vaccine, which is set to be released early next month, is safe and produces a powerful immune response.
The deadline to comply is Nov. 30, a date so close it leaves little time for legal maneuvers to skirt the law, but Accavallo says she's willing to lose her job if need be.
Rob Kozik, another registered nurse in Stony Brook's neonatal intensive care unit, said he has no problems with a seasonal vaccine but he has deep concerns about being immunized against H1N1. "I usually get vaccinated against the flu, but they are mandating an untested and unproven vaccine.
"The H1N1 vaccine already has a poor track record," he added. "Back in 1976 there was vaccine [to protect against swine flu] that caused death and Guillain-Barre syndrome," said Kozik, referring to a nerve-damaging disorder that some people linked to the vaccine. He said he also worries about the vaccine additive thimerosal, which is used as a preservative in some doses of the vaccine.
Stony Brook has begun "a major communication initiative" to inform its staff about the need for the vaccine, said Lauren Sheprow, hospital spokeswoman.
"We feel some of the anxiety may stem from confusion and lack of information about the nature of the H1N1 vaccine," she said.
Dr. Steven Walerstein, medical director of Nassau University Medical Center, said his institution's flu campaign began late last week. More than 900 people were eligible for vaccination in the first phase, and 890 were vaccinated, he said. About an additional 25 workers who refused without explanation are "being referred to human resources and counseling," Walerstein said. If there is not a good reason for their refusal, health care providers can lose their jobs.
newsday.com
The New York State Department of Health issued an emergency regulation in August that requires all health care workers in hospitals, public health clinics, hospices and in home health care be immunized against seasonal and swine flu. But it is the mandated swine flu shot that has angered the workers, who claim the vaccine has not been fully tested.
The New York State Nurses Association, which represents 37,000 nurses, supports opposition to mandatory vaccination.
"We as an organization have not questioned the safety of the vaccine," said Nancy Webber, spokeswoman for the association. "We see this as an issue of workers' rights."
The Public Employees Federation, which represents 9,000 nurses statewide and 3,000 health care workers - nurses and others - at Stony Brook alone, agrees with the nurses' group.
Nurses say they were never consulted before officials wrote the regulation.
"This vaccine has not been clinically tested to the same degree as the regular flu vaccine," said Tara Accavallo, a registered nurse in Stony Brook's neonatal intensive care unit, the division that has produced a number of protesters. "If something happens to me, if I get seriously injured from this vaccine, who's going to help me?"
Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as infectious disease specialists on Long Island say the H1N1 vaccine, which is set to be released early next month, is safe and produces a powerful immune response.
The deadline to comply is Nov. 30, a date so close it leaves little time for legal maneuvers to skirt the law, but Accavallo says she's willing to lose her job if need be.
Rob Kozik, another registered nurse in Stony Brook's neonatal intensive care unit, said he has no problems with a seasonal vaccine but he has deep concerns about being immunized against H1N1. "I usually get vaccinated against the flu, but they are mandating an untested and unproven vaccine.
"The H1N1 vaccine already has a poor track record," he added. "Back in 1976 there was vaccine [to protect against swine flu] that caused death and Guillain-Barre syndrome," said Kozik, referring to a nerve-damaging disorder that some people linked to the vaccine. He said he also worries about the vaccine additive thimerosal, which is used as a preservative in some doses of the vaccine.
Stony Brook has begun "a major communication initiative" to inform its staff about the need for the vaccine, said Lauren Sheprow, hospital spokeswoman.
"We feel some of the anxiety may stem from confusion and lack of information about the nature of the H1N1 vaccine," she said.
Dr. Steven Walerstein, medical director of Nassau University Medical Center, said his institution's flu campaign began late last week. More than 900 people were eligible for vaccination in the first phase, and 890 were vaccinated, he said. About an additional 25 workers who refused without explanation are "being referred to human resources and counseling," Walerstein said. If there is not a good reason for their refusal, health care providers can lose their jobs.
newsday.com
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Alex Jones Manny Badillo WeAreChange We Are Change 9/11
Today, On this day before the eighth anniversary
of the September 11 false flag attacks,
Alex Jones talks with Manny Badillo
of WeAreChange New York.
Find more videos like this on 12160
related:
80,000 New Yorkers demand a new investigation into 9/11
WeAreChange
NYCCAN
DEMAND 9/11 TRUTH NOW ! - 12.160Mhz
of the September 11 false flag attacks,
Alex Jones talks with Manny Badillo
of WeAreChange New York.
Find more videos like this on 12160
related:
80,000 New Yorkers demand a new investigation into 9/11
WeAreChange
NYCCAN
DEMAND 9/11 TRUTH NOW ! - 12.160Mhz
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
2,000 from National Guard could bolster G-20 security - Activist calls combat troops overreaction
Monday, September 07, 2009
By Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Officials overseeing security during this month's G-20 summit appear likely to tap the Pennsylvania National Guard as a major source of personnel -- perhaps the biggest.
Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver, the National Guard's state public affairs officer, said the 19,000-member force is expecting word soon on just how many troops will be sought to supplement efforts by the U.S. Secret Service and Pittsburgh police.
National Guard representatives have been part of discussions throughout the summer, led by the Secret Service, on how other agencies could assist the city's 900-member force. Local officials have said about 4,000 security personnel are being sought to handle traffic, crowd control and other duties during the Sept. 24-25 gathering of world leaders at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
The Pennsylvania State Police is expected to bring in at least 1,000 officers from around the state. Lt. Col. Cleaver said the National Guard might supply as many as 2,000, primarily from its 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Washington, Pa., although nothing is official yet.
"We're not going to be in a lead role. We are in support of [other units of] law enforcement," the lieutenant colonel said, noting that the Washington, Pa., brigade also had a large role providing security on streets of the nation's capital for President Barack Obama's inauguration.
The brigade has more than 2,400 members, most of them civilians who would be activated, as they were in 2005 for a tour of duty in Iraq. The 171st Air Refueling Wing, based at Pittsburgh International Airport, would also be activated to assist if authorities confirm the National Guard is needed.
"Not only do we have a robust ability to bring a lot of people -- we have unique aspects like helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and specialized units for an event like this," Lt. Col. Cleaver said.
He said the federal government would pay any costs that occur from mobilizing the National Guardsmen.
Officials are seeking a large security presence in part because of the threat of widespread protests that could occur during the summit, from various groups unhappy with policies of the G-20 nations.
One local activist helping plan those protests, David Meieran, issued an e-mail call yesterday for people to contact both Gov. Ed Rendell's office and the White House condemning the message that large use of National Guard troops would send.
"There is no state of emergency in Pittsburgh, there is no natural disaster," he said, "only the placing of military combat troops in the Steel City, which will repress and intimidate democratic free speech and dissent."
Lt. Col. Cleaver responded that the nature of the National Guard's work has changed somewhat as a result of 9/11, taking on a more proactive role for security needs such as protecting airports and nuclear facilities.
"I would view this as a core mission of the National Guard," he said of G-20 security.
While Gov. Rendell would give the official order to mobilize troops, it will depend on a formal request being issued soon by Secret Service and Pittsburgh police officials, Lt. Col. Cleaver said.
Gary Rotstein can be reached at grotstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1255.
By Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Officials overseeing security during this month's G-20 summit appear likely to tap the Pennsylvania National Guard as a major source of personnel -- perhaps the biggest.
Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver, the National Guard's state public affairs officer, said the 19,000-member force is expecting word soon on just how many troops will be sought to supplement efforts by the U.S. Secret Service and Pittsburgh police.
National Guard representatives have been part of discussions throughout the summer, led by the Secret Service, on how other agencies could assist the city's 900-member force. Local officials have said about 4,000 security personnel are being sought to handle traffic, crowd control and other duties during the Sept. 24-25 gathering of world leaders at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
The Pennsylvania State Police is expected to bring in at least 1,000 officers from around the state. Lt. Col. Cleaver said the National Guard might supply as many as 2,000, primarily from its 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Washington, Pa., although nothing is official yet.
"We're not going to be in a lead role. We are in support of [other units of] law enforcement," the lieutenant colonel said, noting that the Washington, Pa., brigade also had a large role providing security on streets of the nation's capital for President Barack Obama's inauguration.
The brigade has more than 2,400 members, most of them civilians who would be activated, as they were in 2005 for a tour of duty in Iraq. The 171st Air Refueling Wing, based at Pittsburgh International Airport, would also be activated to assist if authorities confirm the National Guard is needed.
"Not only do we have a robust ability to bring a lot of people -- we have unique aspects like helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and specialized units for an event like this," Lt. Col. Cleaver said.
He said the federal government would pay any costs that occur from mobilizing the National Guardsmen.
Officials are seeking a large security presence in part because of the threat of widespread protests that could occur during the summit, from various groups unhappy with policies of the G-20 nations.
One local activist helping plan those protests, David Meieran, issued an e-mail call yesterday for people to contact both Gov. Ed Rendell's office and the White House condemning the message that large use of National Guard troops would send.
"There is no state of emergency in Pittsburgh, there is no natural disaster," he said, "only the placing of military combat troops in the Steel City, which will repress and intimidate democratic free speech and dissent."
Lt. Col. Cleaver responded that the nature of the National Guard's work has changed somewhat as a result of 9/11, taking on a more proactive role for security needs such as protecting airports and nuclear facilities.
"I would view this as a core mission of the National Guard," he said of G-20 security.
While Gov. Rendell would give the official order to mobilize troops, it will depend on a formal request being issued soon by Secret Service and Pittsburgh police officials, Lt. Col. Cleaver said.
Gary Rotstein can be reached at grotstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1255.
Downtown Residents May Need ID During G-20
Some of the 4,000 downtown residents who live near a potential security perimeter during the G-20 summit have begun to think about how they will move around then.
KDKA-TV News has learned that some residential management firms have told their residents that apartment communities near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will have to provide a list of residents to the city which would be put in a database.
That would allow residents to show a photo ID at a checkpoint.
A driver's license or a city issued credential would be used if a driver's license isn't up to date.
KDKA-TV News has learned that some residential management firms have told their residents that apartment communities near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will have to provide a list of residents to the city which would be put in a database.
That would allow residents to show a photo ID at a checkpoint.
A driver's license or a city issued credential would be used if a driver's license isn't up to date.
1000 Pa. State Troopers For G-20 Security
PITTSBURGH -- More than 1,000 Pennsylvania State Police troopers will be sent to Pittsburgh for the Group of 20 global economic summit.
That's nearly a quarter of its total number of troopers. It's one of the largest deployments in the history of the agency.
They'll likely make up the largest part of a force that also will include out-of-town and out-of-state police.
The Pittsburgh Police Bureau has fewer than 900 officers. Officials hope to deploy as many as 4,000 officers during the gathering of world leaders on Sept. 24-25.
Thousands of media, delegates and protesters will descend on the city along with the heads of state. VisitPittsburgh estimates the summit will have a direct economic impact of $35 million on the city.
Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com
That's nearly a quarter of its total number of troopers. It's one of the largest deployments in the history of the agency.
They'll likely make up the largest part of a force that also will include out-of-town and out-of-state police.
The Pittsburgh Police Bureau has fewer than 900 officers. Officials hope to deploy as many as 4,000 officers during the gathering of world leaders on Sept. 24-25.
Thousands of media, delegates and protesters will descend on the city along with the heads of state. VisitPittsburgh estimates the summit will have a direct economic impact of $35 million on the city.
Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com
FAA Posts G-20 Flight Restrictions
The Wheeling-Ohio County Airport expects to be treated as if it is inside the restricted air traffic zone for the G-20 Summit scheduled to be held in Pittsburgh Sept. 24-25, said airport Manager Tom Tominack.
A map released by the Federal Aviation Administration shows the airport just outside the zone, according to Tominack.
Those air traffic restrictions won't have direct impact on the Jefferson County Air Park, but restrictions begin immediately east of Jefferson County.
According to the FAA, temporary flight restrictions are being put into effect for those dates, and notices to pilots and airports could be changed with little or no notice.
Within a 12 nautical-mile ring around Pittsburgh, all flights not operating as regularly scheduled commercial or cargo flights already operating under Transportation Security Administration procedures will have to apply for a waiver to arrive at Pittsburgh International or Allegheny County airports.
Screening of such flights will occur at North Central West Virginia Airport at Clarksburg, and application for a waiver must be made at least 96 hours before a planned flight.
In a ring from 12 nautical miles to 30 nautical miles from Pittsburgh, flights must follow a visual flight rules or instrument flight rules flight plan, must be in contact with air traffic controllers and must be using the transponder that identifies the aircraft to air traffic control.
Flights within that ring are limited to departure or arrival at local airports in the ring, which includes Eddie Dew Memorial Airport, the grass strip at Toronto, and Herron Airport, the grass strip at New Cumberland.
Pilots are advised that aircraft cannot loiter within the zone.
The FAA advises that aircraft not complying with the temporary flight restrictions may be subjected to use of force.
Jefferson County and Wheeling-Ohio County airports lie just beyond the 30-mile circle from downtown Pittsburgh.
Tominack said although Wheeling-Ohio County Airport is outside the zone, the airport is being treated as if it is in the zone.
"We will be affected by the event. We're working at this point to alert users that they should check the NOTAMS (notice to airmen) and be sure of activities that may or may not occur," he said.
"The airport can be utilized, but it will be restricted and will take more coordination to use on those days."
At Jefferson County, Manager Phil Bender said, "For us, it will be business as usual, but pilots have to be aware that just east of here is the restricted airspace."
He said emergency flights by the STAT MedEvac helicopters based at the airport still will be able to access Pittsburgh hospitals through coordination with the TSA and Secret Service.
The Intelligencer
A map released by the Federal Aviation Administration shows the airport just outside the zone, according to Tominack.
Those air traffic restrictions won't have direct impact on the Jefferson County Air Park, but restrictions begin immediately east of Jefferson County.
According to the FAA, temporary flight restrictions are being put into effect for those dates, and notices to pilots and airports could be changed with little or no notice.
Within a 12 nautical-mile ring around Pittsburgh, all flights not operating as regularly scheduled commercial or cargo flights already operating under Transportation Security Administration procedures will have to apply for a waiver to arrive at Pittsburgh International or Allegheny County airports.
Screening of such flights will occur at North Central West Virginia Airport at Clarksburg, and application for a waiver must be made at least 96 hours before a planned flight.
In a ring from 12 nautical miles to 30 nautical miles from Pittsburgh, flights must follow a visual flight rules or instrument flight rules flight plan, must be in contact with air traffic controllers and must be using the transponder that identifies the aircraft to air traffic control.
Flights within that ring are limited to departure or arrival at local airports in the ring, which includes Eddie Dew Memorial Airport, the grass strip at Toronto, and Herron Airport, the grass strip at New Cumberland.
Pilots are advised that aircraft cannot loiter within the zone.
The FAA advises that aircraft not complying with the temporary flight restrictions may be subjected to use of force.
Jefferson County and Wheeling-Ohio County airports lie just beyond the 30-mile circle from downtown Pittsburgh.
Tominack said although Wheeling-Ohio County Airport is outside the zone, the airport is being treated as if it is in the zone.
"We will be affected by the event. We're working at this point to alert users that they should check the NOTAMS (notice to airmen) and be sure of activities that may or may not occur," he said.
"The airport can be utilized, but it will be restricted and will take more coordination to use on those days."
At Jefferson County, Manager Phil Bender said, "For us, it will be business as usual, but pilots have to be aware that just east of here is the restricted airspace."
He said emergency flights by the STAT MedEvac helicopters based at the airport still will be able to access Pittsburgh hospitals through coordination with the TSA and Secret Service.
The Intelligencer
Anti-Flag and State Radio have announced plans for a performance designed to "confront the G20
Political acts Anti-Flag and State Radio have announced plans for a performance designed to "confront the G20." The upcoming conference of leaders of the twenty most industrialized nations is set to take place in Pittsburgh September 24th.
Accordingly, the performance dubbed "War. Crime. 2009: A G20 Welcoming Party" will kick off at 7pm, Thursday, September 24th, at Club Zoo in the strip district of Pittsburgh. Tickets to this all ages show go on sale through Ticketmaster this Saturday, September 6, at Noon ET.
The event is co-sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society, the largest progressive student group in the country with over 150 chapters on university and high school campuses.
Accordingly, the performance dubbed "War. Crime. 2009: A G20 Welcoming Party" will kick off at 7pm, Thursday, September 24th, at Club Zoo in the strip district of Pittsburgh. Tickets to this all ages show go on sale through Ticketmaster this Saturday, September 6, at Noon ET.
The event is co-sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society, the largest progressive student group in the country with over 150 chapters on university and high school campuses.
Protest groups decry G-20 mask safety legislation
PITTSBURGH - Protesters are urging Pittsburgh city council to vote against legislation the city wants in the name of public safety during the Group of 20 economic summit.
One ordinance would make it illegal for anyone to wear a mask to conceal their identity with the intent of committing a crime. Otherwise, masks are allowed.
Witold Walczak, the ACLU's legal director in Pennsylvania, says the bill is a pretext to detain people and would likely lead to lawsuits. He says it's difficult or impossible for police to determine someone's intent.
Council President Doug Shields spoke against the legislation, saying if council approves it, he'll buy and distribute 5,000 lunch bags with face holes cut out.
Council will consider the legislation next week.
State troopers train for Pittsburgh G20
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The Pennsylvania State Police said it will send more than 1,000 troopers to help with security at the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Pittsburgh.
Maj. Terry Seilhamer told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette troopers earmarked for the Sept. 24-25 summit were already undergoing refresher training on crowd-control tactics in the event demonstrations get out of hand.
The state contingent will also include specialists such as dog handlers, helicopter crews, bomb technicians and SWAT personnel.
The G20 Summit will include finance ministers and central bankers from 19 nations and the European Union.
The Post-Gazette said Wednesday the city has been working on myriad details ranging from food to housing to workman's compensation insurance related to the deployment of some 4,000 officers from the city, state and surrounding communities.
FBI And EMA Officials Hold Secret Meeting Focusing On G-20 Summit
FBI And EMA Officials Hold Secret Meeting Focusing On G-20 Summit
OHIO COUNTY -- The upcoming G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh is the focus of a big meeting today in Ohio County. FBI Officials and others met today to disucss how local agencies can help out when it comes to securing Pittsburgh, which is set to get major national attention.
Copyright 2009 West Virginia Media.
Emergency Management Agency officials from all over the northern panhandle and other parts of the state met at the EMA Headquarters in Wheeling today to hear how they may be used if needed in case of any emergency in the steel city.
When 7 News cameras showed up the sign clearly read Homeland Security meeting no admittance! But after hanging out for a while...one by one EMA Directors filed out of the secret meeting saying little about their involvement.
But 7 News learned the main focus of the meeting centered on the upcoming G-20 summit in Pittsburgh that will bring leaders from around the world into our region...
Lou Vargo who is with the Ohio County EMA office says anytime there's a major event whether it's a disaster or a planned event like the G-20 summit...we like to have a preliminary meeting just to coordinate of all the agencies at the federal, state, and local level.
The event is expected to draw world wide attention and concerns demonstrations could get out of hand... While security will be unprecedented in the city we've learned they're looking to areas like West Virginia for possible help...
7 News Reporter Dave Elias will be in Pittsburgh covering the G-20 Summit for us. Stick with 7 News for more on this developing story.
Utility companies taking precautions for G-20 summit
examiner.com
Alcosan and Duquesne Light are taking precautions to prevent an attack of their computer systems during the upcoming G-20 summit that could potentially disrupt services thousand of people living the area.
Alcosan and Duquesne Light are reviewing their cyber security procedures to preare for the summit.
Some security experts believe the focus on the major world leaders meeting in Pittsburgh will make the area’s most important computer systems susceptible to hackers.
The Secret Service is reviewing all cyber security plans for the G-20 summit.
The Department of Homeland Security predicts cyber attacks will be used as a common weapon by “left wing extreme groups” in the next 10 years. This summit provides an opportunity for protesters to cause problems in cyberspace.
Alcosan and Duquesne Light are taking precautions to prevent an attack of their computer systems during the upcoming G-20 summit that could potentially disrupt services thousand of people living the area.
Alcosan and Duquesne Light are reviewing their cyber security procedures to preare for the summit.
Some security experts believe the focus on the major world leaders meeting in Pittsburgh will make the area’s most important computer systems susceptible to hackers.
The Secret Service is reviewing all cyber security plans for the G-20 summit.
The Department of Homeland Security predicts cyber attacks will be used as a common weapon by “left wing extreme groups” in the next 10 years. This summit provides an opportunity for protesters to cause problems in cyberspace.
ACLU praises Pittsburgh's G20 efforts
ACLU praises Pittsburgh's G20 efforts
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union says the city of Pittsburgh is doing a good job of accommodating Group of 20 summit protesters.
Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, praised the city's administration for changing the way it views protesters' free speech rights, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.
"They've certainly come a long way in 10 years, and they really deserve commendation," Walczak said, adding, however, that his group has not decided against filing a lawsuit against the city for alleged civil rights violations.
The newspaper said a meeting between the ACLU and the city of Pittsburgh's legal department has been scheduled for Tuesday in a bid to iron out differences that have resulted in 15 protest permit applications being blocked.
The G20 summit will be held in the Pennsylvania city Sept. 24-25, when leaders of the world's biggest economies will gather to discuss progress made on battling the global financial crisis since the last G20 meeting held earlier this year in London.
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union says the city of Pittsburgh is doing a good job of accommodating Group of 20 summit protesters.
Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, praised the city's administration for changing the way it views protesters' free speech rights, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.
"They've certainly come a long way in 10 years, and they really deserve commendation," Walczak said, adding, however, that his group has not decided against filing a lawsuit against the city for alleged civil rights violations.
The newspaper said a meeting between the ACLU and the city of Pittsburgh's legal department has been scheduled for Tuesday in a bid to iron out differences that have resulted in 15 protest permit applications being blocked.
The G20 summit will be held in the Pennsylvania city Sept. 24-25, when leaders of the world's biggest economies will gather to discuss progress made on battling the global financial crisis since the last G20 meeting held earlier this year in London.
Pittsburgh firms seek private security during G-20
Pittsburgh firms seek private security during G-20
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH - Several Pittsburgh companies are hiring private security firms to secure their offices during the Group of 20 summit later this month.
The companies apparently taking the greatest precautions are energy firms fearful they will be targeted by environmental protesters.
While security firms and the companies hiring them declined to provide details, they confirm they plan to implement extra measures.
The G-20 summit often attracts thousands of protesters who oppose everything from global economic initiatives to what they perceive to be international policies harmful to the environment. Protests sometimes turn violent.
Nearly two dozen heads of state will arrive in Pittsburgh Sept. 24-25 to discuss the global economic crisis.
Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, http://pghtrib.com
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH - Several Pittsburgh companies are hiring private security firms to secure their offices during the Group of 20 summit later this month.
The companies apparently taking the greatest precautions are energy firms fearful they will be targeted by environmental protesters.
While security firms and the companies hiring them declined to provide details, they confirm they plan to implement extra measures.
The G-20 summit often attracts thousands of protesters who oppose everything from global economic initiatives to what they perceive to be international policies harmful to the environment. Protests sometimes turn violent.
Nearly two dozen heads of state will arrive in Pittsburgh Sept. 24-25 to discuss the global economic crisis.
Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, http://pghtrib.com
Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, http://pghtrib.com
Secret Service announces first phase of G-20 security closings
Secret Service announces first phase of G-20 security closings
Pittsburgh Business Times
Pittsburgh Business Times
The U.S. Secret Service on Tuesday announced the first phase of G-20 closings that will occur near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh.
A secure restricted zone will be set up in an area near the convention center between 8 p.m. on Sept. 23 and 8 p.m. on Sept. 25. Roads that will be affected include major thoroughfares Penn Avenue and 10th Street.
The zone includes two components: a restricted pedestrian area and a restricted vehicle area. The restricted vehicle area extends from roughly 7th to 13th streets between the Allegheny River and Liberty Ave., as well as a portion of Grant Street. The smaller restricted pedestrian area extends around the convention center and includes part of the 10th Street bypass and the area in front of the convention center up to Penn Avenue.Click here for a .pdf map of the security perimeter.
Scroll down to the bottom of the release to see the map.
Two checkpoints will be set up for people to enter the area on foot. The checkpoints will be located at 9th Street and Penn Avenue, and 10th Street and Liberty Ave.
Pedestrians will be screened using magnetometers. The following items will be prohibited within the security zone:- firearms,
- ammunition,
- explosives,
- weapons of any kind,
- any other items determined to be a “potential safety hazard.”
A waterside security zone will also be set up by the U.S. Coast Guard Capital of the Port to secure the waterways around Pittsburgh. The zone restrictions will run from 6 a.m. Sept. 24 through 10 p.m. Sept. 25. The zone includes the areas between the West End Bridge on the Ohio River, the South Shore Marina on the Allegheny River, and the 10th Street Bridge on the Monongahela River.
Airspace restrictions have previously been announced. For more details, go to www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsld=59419.
Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Safety plans to release a more comprehensive transportation plan next week for the G-20 summit. Maps and other safety information will be available then. Additional details about temporary closures near Phipps Conservatory and other event sites will also be announced in mid-September.
For more information, go to www.g20safety.org
--
Secret Service releases G-20 security information
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH - The Secret Service has released details of the security perimeters for the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh.
The Secret Service has created two perimeters around the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, a smaller one for pedestrians and a larger one restricting vehicles.
The convention center takes up about a block and is bordered by a road and the Allegheny River on one side. Vehicle traffic is essentially restricted about three blocks on each side of the center. Pedestrians can get much closer, but there are two checkpoints to get to businesses and residences inside the restricted area.
The checkpoints go into effect at 8 p.m. on Sept. 23 and last until 8 p.m. on Sept. 25.
On the Net: http://www.g20safety.org/
G-2O PROTEST Security Pittsburg News 09 08 09
1000 Pa. State Troopers For G-20 Security
Downtown Residents May Need ID During G-20
2,000 from National Guard could bolster G-20 security - Activist calls combat troops overreaction
FBI And EMA Officials Hold Secret Meeting Focusing On G-20 Summit
Secret Service announces first phase of G-20 security closings
announced the first phase of G-20 closings that will occur near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. A secure restricted zone will be set up in an area near the convention center
Police look to London for lessons on G-20
As they prepare to host the next G-20, Pittsburgh police officials are looking closely at what happened in London and at similar gatherings, such as the meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle in 1999.
Utility companies taking precautions for G-20 summit
DHS predicts cyber attacks will be used as a common weapon by “left wing extreme groups” ...
Protest groups decry G-20 mask safety legislation
State troopers train for Pittsburgh G20
ACLU praises Pittsburgh's G20 efforts
says the city of Pittsburgh is doing a good job of accommodating Group of 20 summit protesters.
Pittsburgh firms seek private security during G-20
Several Pittsburgh companies are hiring private security firms to secure their offices during the Group of 20 summit later this month.
FAA Posts G-20 Flight Restrictions
Anti-Flag and State Radio have announced plans for a performance designed to "confront the G20
Downtown Residents May Need ID During G-20
2,000 from National Guard could bolster G-20 security - Activist calls combat troops overreaction
FBI And EMA Officials Hold Secret Meeting Focusing On G-20 Summit
Secret Service announces first phase of G-20 security closings
announced the first phase of G-20 closings that will occur near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. A secure restricted zone will be set up in an area near the convention center
Police look to London for lessons on G-20
As they prepare to host the next G-20, Pittsburgh police officials are looking closely at what happened in London and at similar gatherings, such as the meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle in 1999.
Utility companies taking precautions for G-20 summit
DHS predicts cyber attacks will be used as a common weapon by “left wing extreme groups” ...
Protest groups decry G-20 mask safety legislation
State troopers train for Pittsburgh G20
ACLU praises Pittsburgh's G20 efforts
says the city of Pittsburgh is doing a good job of accommodating Group of 20 summit protesters.
Pittsburgh firms seek private security during G-20
Several Pittsburgh companies are hiring private security firms to secure their offices during the Group of 20 summit later this month.
FAA Posts G-20 Flight Restrictions
Anti-Flag and State Radio have announced plans for a performance designed to "confront the G20
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