Pros and Cons of Pandemic Stockpiling

Stockpiling antiviral drugs and masks as well as other survival supplies has been the response of many people in the United States to the pandemic threat. Is is necessary to stock up on antiviral drugs and masks? Is stockpiling ethical? Let's explore some of the issues surrounding stockpiling.

A study found that Americans reacted to news about avian flu and pandemics and began to stockpile Tamiflu in 2005. Tamiflu prescriptions were even written for children under the age of one year-old even though administration of the drug is not recommended for babies under 12 months-old. (See blog, October 18, 2006)

Companies marketing masks and respirators to avoid becoming infected with avian flu warned potential customers that if they did not buy immediately he/she might risk not being able to buy a mask at all.

The H5N1 subtype of avian flu has affected poultry and humans with a high fatality rate hitting the developing countries of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and China the hardest. (See the Table of Human Cases of H5N1 since 2003 Updated Daily.)

Stockpiling of [linkurl=http://birdflu.about.com/od/patientscorner/p/antiviraldrugs.htm]antiviral drugs[/link] and personal protection equipment for infection control, such as masks, by individuals may deprive people in countries where endemic bird flu is present of necessary materials needed to stamp out the spread of avian flu.

The hoarding of drugs and other supplies by rich, developed countries therefore could thwart the effort of poorer developing countries to hold back a pandemic flu arising from an avian flu virus.

Hoarding is unethical if it deprives other people of supplies that they need for their immediate survival.