CDC Asks State and Local Health Departments to Vaccinate High Risk Groups First Against H1N1

The CDC recently put out a Letter to all State and local health officials urging them to restrict vaccinations to High Risk groups.

Currently demand for the vaccination is exceeding the supply currently available, though more is on the way.

The letter highlights the need to vaccinate those in high risk groups first, and the CDC is asking that State and Local Health departments ensure equitable access to the vaccine.

Law to Require Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave Over H1N1

The H1N1 Virus has sparked new debate on paid sick leave and a Bill has been introduced, known as the Emergency Influenza Containment Act to require employers to pay sick employees who miss work.

This is the third bill to be introduced on the subject of paid sick days, and is designed to protect employees from becoming infected and reduce the amount of money in lost productivity due to more workers becoming sick.

I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this issue so please comment.

Iran Designed and Tested Components of Advanced Nuclear Warhead

Iran has secretly designed Nuclear Warhead so advanced that it is still being kept largely a secret in the U.S. and Britain.

What details have been released is that it uses a "two point implosion" and that they have tested components of this design.

This is the first claim that Iran has sought such advanced weaponry, which nuclear experts have called "breathtaking."

The IAEA has sent a dossier to Iran, asking for explanation on this and some other findings that are not known at this time.

Al-Qaeda Calls For Small-Scale Attacks Against The West Using Home-Made Bombs

On Monday November 2nd Reuters did a story that Al Qaeda is calling for home-made bomb attacks against the West.

It also calls for smaller scale attacks against "secular media figures and columnists who promote the policies of rulers in the world's top oil exporting region."

Abu Basir Nasser al-Wahayshi, the Al Qaeda leader of the groups wing in the Arabian Peninsula called on militants to attack airports and trains in the West and said they could easily make bombs from household materials.

His statements also said, "You do not need to exert great effort or spend a lot of money to make 10 grams of explosives, more or less. Do not spend a long time searching for materials as they already exist in your mother's kitchen," Wahayshi wrote in the article, posted on an Islamist website on Sunday.

"Make them (bombs) in the shape of a bomb you hurl, or detonate through a timer or a remote detonater or a martyrdom-seeker belt or any electrical appliance."

Wahayshi called upon people to use kives and apparently even their bare hands, "secular media figures and writers who mock the orders of religion and those who promote and justify (the actions) of infidel rulers".

"Knives are a good remedy for some and ... (for others) severe beating until they are confined to bed or lose one of their senses," added the militant leader.

Calling on militants to assassinate al Qaeda's enemies, Wahayshi stated that "It is a duty that a Muslim mujahid be busy planning to reap the heads of infidels."

Small scale attacks, especially the Lone Wolf present the biggest challenge to law enforcement since there is little to no "chatter" on these events. 

Disaster Tip of The Week: Have A Battery Powered Radio and Extra Batteries

When a catastrophic disaster occurs it often results in the loss of power. However, many radio stations will still be able to transmit information over the air waves.

In order to hear this information, and hear news about highways, rescues, orders to evacute and other important information you will need to have either a battery powered radio, a solar powered radio or a radio that works when you wind it up.

The radios I personally use work with both batteries and through winding it up, but everyone has there own preference.

One important thing to remember though is if your radio uses only battery power, make sure you have plenty of extra fresh batteries on hand. 

Also excellent and highly recommended are the NOAA weather alert radios that you can set to come on during an emergency.

No matter what type you prefer just choose something and keep it in your disaster kit.