It’s Barack Obama's Fault There’s a Shortage of N95 Respirator Masks

[PeteS in CA]

https://pjmedia.com/trending/its-barack-obama-fault-theres-a-shortage-of-n95-respirator-masks-heres-why/

It’s Barack Obama's Fault There’s a Shortage of N95 Respirator Masks
BY MATT MARGOLIS MARCH 22, 2020

Back in 2005, the Bush administration published the “National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza.” The strategy called for plans to distribute medical supplies from the national stockpile and to assist state and local efforts to handle an outbreak, but last month, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Congress that the national stockpile of N95 respirator masks was 12 million—a mere fraction of the 1.7 billion masks government scientists estimated back in 2015 would be needed in the event of a severe flu outbreak.
...
Buried several paragraphs deep in the aforementioned Bloomberg story we find out that “after the H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009, which triggered a nationwide shortage of masks and caused a 2- to 3-year backlog orders for the N95 variety, the stockpile distributed about three-quarters of its inventory and didn’t build back the supply.”
...
... According to (an LA Times) story, “After the swine flu epidemic in 2009, a safety-equipment industry association and a federally sponsored task force both recommended that depleted supplies of N95 respirator masks [...] be replenished by the stockpile.” The problem is that didn’t happen. According to Charles Johnson, president of the International Safety Equipment Association, about 100 million N95 respirator masks were used up during the swine flu pandemic of 2009-2010, but, he said was unaware of any “major effort to restore the stockpile to cover that drawdown.”

Strictly speaking, "Obama Administration" would be more accurate. But since the Dems and their MSM-shills won't make that distinction wrt the Trump Administration ...

[Neverdul]

Personally I blame Woodrow Wilson for never restocking after the Spanish Flu pandemic.

[DB]

I'd guess N95 masks have an expiration date.

Don't know that for sure though.

[dfwgator]

Flu pandemic may change U.S. flu approach forever
December 18, 2009   

https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20091218/NEWS01/912189993

Some quotes:

Much work remains on improving vaccine technology, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The goal is a so-called universal vaccine that would not have to be reformulated as the virus mutates every flu season.

"We need to harness the science to be able to make an influenza vaccine that not only is good from season to season but ... that doesn't change from season to season and from pandemic to pandemic," Dr. Fauci said.

"It is going to be several years before we get there."


Several?   It's only been 11 years, Anthony!



The H1N1 flu pandemic may have changed the U.S. approach to handling influenza forever and for the better, U.S. officials said Thursday.


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!




And I'll garandamn-tee when this is over, Trump will make sure what didn't get done after 2009, will get done for the next time.

[Neverdul]

Flu pandemic may change U.S. flu approach forever
December 18, 2009   

https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20091218/NEWS01/912189993

Some quotes:

Much work remains on improving vaccine technology, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The goal is a so-called universal vaccine that would not have to be reformulated as the virus mutates every flu season.

"We need to harness the science to be able to make an influenza vaccine that not only is good from season to season but ... that doesn't change from season to season and from pandemic to pandemic," Dr. Fauci said.

"It is going to be several years before we get there."


Several?   It's only been 11 years, Anthony!



The H1N1 flu pandemic may have changed the U.S. approach to handling influenza forever and for the better, U.S. officials said Thursday.


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!




And I'll garandamn-tee when this is over, Trump will make sure what didn't get done after 2009, will get done for the next time.

Yes, a universal influenza vaccine is the goal. But a universal influenza vaccine is not as simple as it might sound due to the variety of influenza strains and how they mutate. Because of this keep in mind that even a “universal” flu shot won’t be a one and done, giving lifelong immunity – it would, if it pans out however, last for several years and be more effective as it would cover more strains.

Progress is being made however.

Building a better flu vaccine -- one you don't have to get every year
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/29/health/universal-flu-vaccine/index.html

Of course we have flu vaccines now, and while not perfect, still better than none. But I know people who refuse to get them for various reasons, some of those reasons based on anecdotal information, garbage fed to them by anti-vaxxers and all manner of conspiracy theories.

While I hope there is success in a vaccine for COVID-19 I fear that too many people will refuse to get it to give us enough herd immunity.

[PeteS in CA]

I'd guess N95 masks have an expiration date.
...

The N95 masks I bought in September or October 2017 have an expiration date of "08/2023".

Realistically, expiration dates on medical stuff really means that's when manufacturers' guarantees expire. There are medical charities serving third world countries whose whole "business model" is collecting and distributing fairly recently expired meds, knowing they still will be effective.

Similarly, had the national stockpile been replenished in 2011 and 2012, expired masks would have been transferred to secondary emergency stock, and replaced again. That whole replenish-and-replace was simply abandoned after the H1N1 epidemic.

[DB]

The N95 masks I bought in September or October 2017 have an expiration date of "08/2023".

Realistically, expiration dates on medical stuff really means that's when manufacturers' guarantees expire. There are medical charities serving third world countries whose whole "business model" is collecting and distributing fairly recently expired meds, knowing they still will be effective.

Similarly, had the national stockpile been replenished in 2011 and 2012, expired masks would have been transferred to secondary emergency stock, and replaced again. That whole replenish-and-replace was simply abandoned after the H1N1 epidemic.

Thank you. Soft plastic/elastic components may start to fall apart over time too.

[GtHawk]

The N95 masks I bought in September or October 2017 have an expiration date of "08/2023".

Realistically, expiration dates on medical stuff really means that's when manufacturers' guarantees expire. There are medical charities serving third world countries whose whole "business model" is collecting and distributing fairly recently expired meds, knowing they still will be effective.

Similarly, had the national stockpile been replenished in 2011 and 2012, expired masks would have been transferred to secondary emergency stock, and replaced again. That whole replenish-and-replace was simply abandoned after the H1N1 epidemic.

I once read that the expiration dates on meds has nothing to do with when the medicine loses efficacy, it is just when the drug manufacturer stopped testing because of the expense and assumption that the drug would be used prior to the date.

[Cyber Liberty]

The N95 masks I bought in September or October 2017 have an expiration date of "08/2023".

Realistically, expiration dates on medical stuff really means that's when manufacturers' guarantees expire. There are medical charities serving third world countries whose whole "business model" is collecting and distributing fairly recently expired meds, knowing they still will be effective.

Similarly, had the national stockpile been replenished in 2011 and 2012, expired masks would have been transferred to secondary emergency stock, and replaced again. That whole replenish-and-replace was simply abandoned after the H1N1 epidemic.

I've done volunteer work packing donated medical supplies, and they throw away anything that's expired.