Bioterror antidotes rushed to Boston
Stockpiles ready for convention
Shipments of antidotes that would counter chemical attacks have been expedited to Boston and New York to make sure both cities have the drugs before the start of national political conventions, federal and local health authorities confirmed last night.
Known as ''chempacks," the medical supplies have been regarded as a cornerstone of the nation's campaign to prepare for terrorism attacks involving chemical or biological agents. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began disbursing the antidotes to states in recent months, but with the Democratic National Convention scheduled for July 26 through 29, Boston was moved up the roster of recipients.
''It's something that's here now, and it's because of the DNC that it was expedited along, and we're glad it's here," said Rich Serino, chief of Boston's Emergency Medical Services.
CDC spokeswoman Karen Hunter acknowledged that Boston and New York ''moved up a few notches" to assure the stockpiles would be in place before the Democratic and Republican meetings. The GOP meets in New York from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.
Brian Roehrkasse, a spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security, said the shipments are part of ''routine activities" being carried out by the federal Department of Health and Human Services to ''raise the level of preparedness throughout the country."
''We have no credible, specific intelligence about a chemical attack in Boston, New York, or any other large city," Roehrkasse said. ''We continue to take prudent preparedness measures to ensure security at large events through the US during this period of increased risk."
Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said ''credible reporting" indicated that Al Qaeda was planning ''a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process."
Ridge will be in town today to get a tour of the FleetCenter and receive a briefing on security arrangements for the Democratic National Convention. Mayor Thomas M. Menino is slated to escort Ridge through the arena, and the two have scheduled a joint news conference for this afternoon at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
The chempacks are being placed at hospitals, but other emergency authorities will have access to them in the event of a chemical attack, Serino said. The CDC would not disclose how many chempacks were shipped or to which facilities, and Serino said security concerns prevented him from detailing the contents.
Terrorism specialists have long feared that rogue groups might use nerve agents to spread sickness and fear. CDC documents reveal the chempack initiative was started to assure that antidotes were available rapidly -- quicker than the 12-hour window promised by the nation's Strategic National Stockpile Program, which provides caches of medical equipment, drugs, and vaccines.
''This response time is inadequate for a nerve agent event, where treatment must be accomplished quickly in order to save as many lives as possible," the CDC report concludes.
The chempacks contain antidotes that are stored in strategic locations across the country. They would, for example, treat victims exposed to cyanide or to nerve agents that spawn convulsions that lead to death or long-term brain impairment.
''There's a desire to get everything in place for any kind of emergency," said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, director of communicable disease control for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
''The feds and the city and the state have been meeting for lo these many months to assure that's especially the case with the Democratic National Convention," he said.
Stephen Smith can be reached at stsmith@globe.com. 