These data offer a current, evidence-based window into the needs of public health workers who would serve as a backbone of locally-driven emergency response in an influenza pandemic setting.

We therefore believe further efforts must be directed at ensuring that all local public health workers, but most notably non-clinical professional staff, understand in advance the importance of their role during an influenza pandemic -- otherwise they will fail to show up when they are most needed.

In the face of a pandemic influenza threat, local health department employees' unwillingness to report to duty may pose a threat to the nation's emergency response infrastructure.

If there are long-term needs, then those long-term needs should be filled with long-term workers.

The vote expands health care for workers, stops large, profitable companies from shifting their health care costs onto taxpayers, and makes sure all large, profitable employers pay their fair share for health care.

We're assuming the worst, that there has been likely transmission to health care workers, that there has been transmission to families and that there has probably been transmission to other patients, and that it provides the link to St. John's Hospital that we didn't recognize last night,