BioThreat Expert Wants Hospitals, Schools to Prepare for Flu Pandemic

An expert on biological threats says hospitals, schools, and businesses should be preparing for an influenza pandemic. Gigi Gronvall is founder of the Center for BioSecurity at the University of Pittsburgh. She says flu pandemics are common throughout civilization and there will be definitely be another one. The federal government last month released a 400-page report on how the country should deal with it. But Gronvall recommends employers and others prepare on the local level... Click to Listen Other options: Realplayer / Windows Media / MP3 Download (0:27)

Gronvall says it's unrealistic to try to stop a new flu virus at the state border. She hopes more people request flu vaccines, in part because she says it might encourage American drug companies to invest in more vaccines. She says the U-S is far behind European countries in developing new vaccines because they are not big money-makers.