President Obama Says Swine Flu is Cause for Concern, Not Panic

U.S. President Barack Obama says the threat of a swine flu epidemic is cause for concern, but not alarm. There have been 149 suspected swine flu deaths in Mexico but none in the United States.

President Obama says the United States is closely monitoring the spread of the new flu strain.

"This is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert," said President Obama. "But it is not a cause for alarm."

On Sunday, the U.S. government declared a public health emergency as a precautionary measure. The move allows the government to move resources into place, similar to steps taken in preparation for a hurricane.

So far, the impact of the swine flu outbreak in the United States has been slight with only a few mild cases reported in five states.

But across the border in Mexico - where the death toll is rising - it is another story.

Dr. Richard Besser is the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - the U.S. agency that tracks infectious diseases. He warns that Americans should not be complacent.

"I wouldn't rest on the fact that we have only seen cases in this country that are less severe," said Dr. Besser. "As we continue to look, I expect that we will see additional cases and I expect that the spectrum of disease will expand."

Besser says the United States will be advising its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.

At the State Department, which issues formal travel advisories, Secretary Hillary Clinton said cross-border cooperation will be essential in battling the spread of swine flu.

"And we obviously have offered help and assistance to the government of Mexico to make sure that they have the resources and the technical expertise that they might need, if they so request," said Secretary Clinton.

The U.S. official overseeing the domestic response to the swine flu threat is Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of Homeland Security. She says the United States is stepping up checks of pe...

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ANNUAL MEETING

National Academy of Sciences
Washington, D.C.

9:12 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you so much for the wonderful welcome. To President Cicerone, thank you very much for your leadership and for hosting us today. To John Holdren, thanks, John, for the outstanding work that you are doing.

I was just informed backstage that Ralph and John both are 1965 graduates of MIT -- same class. And so I'm not sure this is the perfectly prescribed scientific method, but they're sort of a control group -- (laughter) -- who ages faster: The President's Science Advisor or the President of the Academy? (Laughter.) And we'll check in in a couple of years. But it is wonderful to see them.

To all of you, to my Cabinet Secretaries and team who are here, thank you. It is a great privilege to address the distinguished members of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as the leaders of the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine who've gathered here this morning.

And I'd like to begin today with a story of a previous visitor who also addressed this august body. In April of 1921, Albert Einstein visited the United States for the first time. And his international credibility was growing as scientists around the world began to understand and accept the vast implications of his theories of special and general relativity. And he attended this annual meeting, and after sitting through a series of long speeches by others, he reportedly said, "I have just got a new theory of eternity." (Laughter.) So I will do my best to heed this cautionary tale. (Laughter.)

The very founding of this institution stands as a testament to the restless curiosity, the boundless hope so essential not just to the scientific enterprise, but to this experiment we call America.

A few months after a devastating defeat at Fredericksburg, before Gettysburg would be won, before ...