Hand Hygiene Facts: Swine & CDC : Hand Sanitizer Saga

Very straightforward, local company takes prominent role in combating swine flu .

Below email exchange with CDC Director Rich Bresser early Saturday morning..where he states the following in reply to reach out. Dr. Bresser seems to acknowledge the mixed messages being sent by his own staff versus the knowledge that CDC purportedly has regarding things other than alcohol.

See the press release displayed below his comment.

From: Besser, Rich (CDC/COTPER/OD) [mailto:cdc.gov]
Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 6:37 AM
To: jay@mgata.com
Subject: Re: Lab Report: BAC vs. Swine Flu

Got it. I understand now. I appreciate the heads up re: inconsistency. I'll see if we can address it.
Best,

Rich

Richard E. Besser, MD
Acting Director, CDC and
Acting Administrator, ATSDR

From:
To: Besser, Rich (CDC/COTPER/OD)
Sent: Fri May 01 18:18:25 2009
Subject: FW: Lab Report: BAC vs. Swine Flu

Dr. Besser..

You might be the busiest guy in the country right now.

Just a note...my note to you i.e. the confusion CDC is creating i.e. alcohol hand sanitizer was not a "business request."

US DOT, GSA and US Navy have all contacted our company specifically requesting alcohol-free hand sanitizer and expressing frustration that CDC continues to recommend alcohol when those agencies --and many others prohibit it for obvious reason.

Spokespeople at CDC have said informally "we don't really recommend alcohol hand sanitizers', yet its pervasive in all CDC news releases.

Your office pointed me to a website and suggested that I fill out online form to "schedule a meeting". Some things in Washington will never change, so it seems

Best of luck..you've got a tough job!

Jay

 
Hand Sanitizer Manufacturer  Well Stocked For Swine Flu
Alcohol-Free Formula for H1NI  In Abundant Supply
 
For Immediate Release
 
Fairfield, CT  May 2- 
 
While media outlets and government health care officials, including the  US Centers For Disease Control have added fuel to the "pandemic fire" by  endorsing flammable, alcohol-based hand sanitizer gels as a means to protect  against the current “outbreak” of swine flu, and in turn, causing a shortage of  hand sanitizer products throughout the United States, the makers of Soapopular  alcohol-free, rinse free hand sanitizer, a product that’s proven to be effective  against numerous viruses, including H1N1, is well-equipped to respond the  current crisis.
 
MGS Soapopular Inc. of Fairfield, Connecticut, the US license for  Soapopular brand and the manufacturer of Hy5 alcohol-free, rinse-free hand  sanitizers, is  well prepared to meet  most needs, and currently has more than adequate inventory, including a range of  package sizes and dispensing systems to meet the demands of all customers, which  include federal government agencies, school systems, correctional facilities,  and major retailers throughout the United States. 
 
According to Jay Berkman, “Notwithstanding the fact that this strain of  flu has actually only infected a minute fraction of the number of people that  come down with more common forms of flu every day, the really scary part is that  CDC and other “experts” continue to exclusively recommend alcohol hand  sanitizers, when in fact, alternative solutions have been widely-embraced by  health care professionals."
 
Berkman added, "Many health care professionals have determined that  products using the same organic compound ingredient found in our branded  products are not only equally effective against a broad spectrum of viruses, but  when compared to alcohol-based gels, our non-alcohol, fragrance free, rinse-free  and foam format products are safer to the skin, provide greater persistency, are  non-toxic and non-flammable.”
 
During the past week, MGS Soapopular, much like every other hand  sanitizer manufacturer, has experienced an exponential increase in demand for  product, but where many cities and stores are reporting shortages of hand  sanitizers, the company has been able to continuously process and delivery every  order, and has production capabilities to accommodate tens of thousands of  bottles per week.
 
All of the company's products are FDA-registered, and are fragrance-free,  dye-free and dispensed in a soft foam format. The company's Hy5 brand includes  an OSHA-compliant packaging system and its Soapopular brand is registered with  the US FDA, as well as Canadian and UK counterparts. The Soapopular brand  products are readily available through select retailers, including WalMart  Supercenters, Amazon.com, and directly from the company’s website at  www.SoapyUSA.com.