The Bush administration soon will issue a national flu pandemic preparedness plan that will be followed up by a public health and medical response plan from the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced recently. Addressing a National Press Club audience, Leavitt said the department’s plan will focus on intensifying surveillance and response to outbreaks of avian flu overseas, stockpiling vaccines and retroviral drugs, and creating a “seamless network” of federal, state and local officials to communicate public health information and address surge capacity. He said HHS also is developing criteria for prioritizing the distribution of limited vaccine supplies among states and localities in the event of a pandemic. The agency on Oct. 27 announced a $65.2 million contract with Chiron Corp. to manufacture vaccine designed to protect against the H5N1 virus, which causes avian flu.
[ via AHA News ]
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