Flu proposal called ‘colossal foolishness’

Re “Bush’s Flu Plan Stresses Vaccine,” Nov. 2

I could drain the English language dry in describing the colossal foolishness of President Bush’s plan to vaccinate 20 million Americans against the current strain of avian flu.

Why so? Because the current strain of avian flu, due to its lack of human-to-human transmissibility, poses no significant threat. The virus must mutate to achieve the feared scenario of rapid human-to-human transmission while retaining its lethal potential. Vaccination against the current strain will most likely provide little to no protection whatsoever against the new, deadly, mutated strain.

In short, we’ll have wasted huge amounts of money, effort and resources on the wrong target.

GARY N. GARSHFIELD MD

Irvine

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Re “Preparing for the worst,” editorial, Nov. 2

You say: “It’s unusual for a U.S. president to ask for so much money to prepare for a disaster that isn’t likely to occur during his administration. There is no avian flu in the United States, and there may never be.... Bush is right to try to address the problem now.”

What about global warming -- when does that get addressed?

Or was it more dramatic with low poll numbers to put on his “fright” wig and act like he stands between us and all terror? Halloween is over. Let’s unmask him for the charlatan he is.

GRACE ADAMS

Palm Desert