Preposterous pandemic plan

By KERRY DIOTTE

I got a call from a friend yesterday who was incredulous about an Edmonton Sun city hall story.

"Did you read the story about the city planning to buy a bunch of Cold-fX? '' my pal asked.

I admitted I hadn't yet had a chance to read that.

"They say it's part of their plans to prepare for an influenza pandemic," my pal continued.

"How is Cold-fX going to stop a pandemic and why are we taxpayers paying for it?"

Good questions to be sure.

In a decidedly wacky deal worthy of an Edmonton Sun April Fool's story, officials at city hall have decided the over-the-counter product - pitched as cold-and flu-battling capsules - will be handed out to 5,000 civic employees including police, fire, EMS, some public works staff and even mechanics who maintain city vehicles.

A news release from Edmonton-based CV Technologies Inc. headlined the deal this way: "Edmonton becomes first urban centre in North America to stockpile Cold-fX ... as part of influenza pandemic preparedness plans."

The news release goes on to say: "As part of the company's social responsibility program, a $250,000 supply of Cold-fX will be made available to the city through a cost-sharing arrangement with CV Technologies." It will cost the city up to $125,000.

A city spokesman did his best to explain the unorthodox purchase.

"With the medical research that's been done so far ... we decided it was a prudent and practical step to take, and another tool we can use to protect our essential services staff," Bob Black, director of the city's office of emergency preparedness, told Sun Media. He said the city was approached before making the deal.

There are a whole lot of alarm bells that go off on a thing like this.

I know a lot of people swear by Cold-fX, saying it seems to stop them from getting full-blown colds. I take it myself occasionally and have found it useful at times.

That said, how could Cold-fX be seen as a key, necessary tool in battling an influenza pandemic?

Taxpayers are already raising questions about the sheer optics of this deal involving the Edmonton company that's had its share of Anacin headaches of late.

The Alberta Securities Commission recently issued a 15-day cease-trade order halting trading on the TSX of the company's stock for 15 days while the company restates financial figures amid concerns U.S. revenue was overstated.

That came as the company struggled to sell Cold-fX in the U.S. (Maybe it'd sell more if officials could find a U.S. equivalent to Don Cherry, who's their main pitchman in Canada.)

A March news release from CV Technologies admitted that estimated U.S. sales for the first six months of 2007 would be between $1.5 -$2.5 million, calling that "disappointing."

The sheer optics on the deal with the City of Edmonton are not good.

Some people could see this as a little bit of corporate welfare for a local company that's had some bad luck and bad publicity of late.

Is this city rolling in so much money it can afford to start handing out tens of thousands of dollars so its employees can use a product that's marketed in the U.S. as "an immune-enhancing dietary supplement?"

A colleague of mine suggested a better and far cheaper way to prepare for a flu pandemic.

"Tell people to wash their hands, use sani-wipes and stop shaking hands."

City councillors should be asking some tough questions about this Cold-fX deal.