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Event to kill 80 to 90 million people, John Sharp says

Chancellor John Sharp of the Texas A&M University System talks about the placement of a biosecurity center at A&M, June 18, 2012 (Austin American-Statesman: Ralph Barrera). Chancellor John Sharp of the Texas A&M University System talks about the placement of a biosecurity center at A&M, June 18, 2012 (Austin American-Statesman: Ralph Barrera).

Chancellor John Sharp of the Texas A&M University System talks about the placement of a biosecurity center at A&M, June 18, 2012 (Austin American-Statesman: Ralph Barrera).

By W. Gardner Selby September 27, 2012

When the federal government announced a $285 million grant to create one of three U.S. biosecurity centers at Texas A&M University, a chief A&M administrator said the center would be able to quickly make vaccines to respond to a looming threat.

John Sharp, chancellor of the A&M System, said: "There is going to be, sometime in the future, an event that will kill, according to scientists and with today’s population, somewhere between 80 and 90 million people on this earth."
   
For sure?

Interviews and research articles persuaded us that scientists agree another pandemic is coming, though they say the number of deaths will depend on many variables -- early detection, coordinated response and luck, to name a few. That is, we did not find uniform agreement among scientists that 80 million to 90 million people would die.

We rated this claim Half True.

See our full review to the right -- and remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze.

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Event to kill 80 to 90 million people, John Sharp says