Army official: No easy fix to combat bio-terrorism

National Guard, Dec 2001

The country cannot afford the cost of eliminating all biological warfare risks to Americans, according to one of the Army's top biological warfare experts.

Maj. Gen. John S. Parker, commander of the Army's Medical Research and Material Command made the declaration during a gathering of foreign policy analysts in Washington, D.C., last month.

Though Americans say they want the government to ensure they are totally protected from biological terrorist attacks, they are willing to put up with many other lethal risks, Parker said, including riding a motorcycle without a helmet, smoking cigarettes, and driving while drunk.

Still, Parker said, there are a number of affordable ways to combat bio-terrorism such as improving communication between the public and government agencies. Officials should provide timely information about what the threats are, any countermeasures being taken, who is affected and what the risks are.

A national medical database could also be established to report all injuries and illnesses, without identifying individuals, for medical intelligence use, he said. This could allow medical resources to be directed where needed and alert medical authorities to potential threat areas in a timely manner.

All levels of government could also do a better job of supporting laboratories with training and other resources to detect biological agents in a timely manner.

"We need to federally support all aspects of the public health care system," Parker said.