Diary Prequel Package — page 85

WH airspace. WH was evaculated and many machine gun armed Federal police appeared. After a while they let us in, but the VP had already been scooped off to safety and so the meeting was cancelled and rescheduled for a few days from now. President Bush was in UK at the time. Nov. 25, 2003 - Briefed the Vice President today with Scooter Libby, Stewart Simonson, Carol Kuntz and Jorge Tavel in attendence. I spoke about Nuclear/Radiological countermeasures and our need for a strategic plan and the need for someone (us - DHHS/NIH) to take the lead in this since the effort is fragmented and DoD has been neglecting this area since the end of the Cold War. I also gave him a progress report on our microbial biodefense program. He loved both presentations and related to Carol, (who told me) that the briefing was "very impressive, very impressive, in fact great!" I am still having trouble with Zerhouni who is infuriated that the VP's people are "excluding him" from these briefings. In fact, they merely maintain that the VP does not like crowds and he does not like the chain of command to be present on briefings to him. Zerhouni cannot accept that. I am trying to explain this to Zerhouni, but he is just plain angry. Nov. 28, 2003 - Significant Influenza A activity already with a variant strain (Fujian) that is not contained in current vaccine. This is quite early for heavy burden of influenza cases. 4 deaths of children in Colorado. Concern mounting that we will have a very bad year. I have been on CNN (X2) CNBC and Good Morning America over the past 2 days to talk about this. Dec. 1 - 7, 2003 - Trip to Africa as part of Secr. TGT's delegation. Cameroon (fuel stop + ambassador handshake), Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda. Most incredible visit. Included Julie Gerberding (CDC), Elias Zerhouni, Randy Tobias (Ambassador for President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPAR), Richard Feachim (Director of Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria, and TBC), Peter Piot (UNAIDS), Amb. Richard Holbrooke (UN Ambassador for Clinton, now representing business coalitions), Bill Winkenwerder (DoD), Senator Don Nichols (R-OK), Congressman Dave Weldon (RFL), Linda Conlin (Assist. Secr. For Trade Development, Dept. of Commerce, Ann Peterson (USAID), plus many other VIPs plus a large number of CEO-types in industry such as Hank McKinnel (CEO-Pfizer), CEO Peter Dolan of BMS, Chris Viehbacher (Pres., GSK), John Martin (CEO, Gilead), Per Wold-Olsen (Pres. Merck Europe/Middle East/Africa), etc. In addition, many people from faith-based organizations such as Father O'Brien (Pres. Les Aspin Center at Marquette) and Shepherd Smith (Institute for Youth Development). Christy Feig from CNN was on board as was Sabin Russell from San Francsico Examiner and Marilyn Marchione from Milwaukee Sentinel. Purpose of the visit was fact finding and to get industry involved in economic impact of AIDS in Africa. So many incredible aspects to trip with the underlying theme that the Africans (particularly in Uganda) are showing that they are ready for implementing the PEPAR and the Global Fund (see below the experience in Tororo, Uganda). Also, many new friends from the delegation. Zambia (Dec. 1-2) - Greeted by US Ambassador Martin Brennan and Zambian Minister of Finance and Economic Development Emmanuel Kasonde and Zambian