Here is the Op-Ed. There is nothing here new to readers of this blog, but it is good to see a mainstream politician paying attention to the problem. Here is my favorite paragraph:
Right now, our national stockpiles of anti-viral drugs sit at dangerously low levels — about 2 percent of what we would need in a serious outbreak — and no existing vaccine can provide perfect protection against the avian flu virus. Vaccine and drug production in the United States, furthermore, couldn't make up this difference quickly enough were a serious outbreak to occur. While HHS has drafted a Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan, it remains incomplete.