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White House Seeks $7.1 Billion for Flu Preparedness
The White House is seeking $7.1 billion to develop vaccines, stockpile drugs, track diseases and meet personnel needs in preparation for a potential influenza pandemic, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, Oct. 28). Of the money sought from Congress, $2.8 billion would go toward the development of cell-based vaccine technology. Up to $1.5 billion would be used to stockpile 20 million doses of an experimental avian flu vaccine. Another $1 billion would be used for antiviral medicines, while $800 million would go toward development of new flu treatments and local government would receive $644 million for their preparedness efforts. Speaking at a National Institutes of Health event, President George W. Bush said he also wants lawmakers “to remove one of the greatest obstacles to domestic vaccine production — the growing burden of litigation. … Congress must pass liability protection for the makers of life-saving vaccines.” Internationally, 122 cases of avian flu have been detected since December 2003. Of these, 62 have been fatal. The third case in a month in Thailand was reported yesterday, according to the Post. The avian flu cannot be transmitted from person to person, but scientists fear that it could mutate. Public health officials praised the president for addressing pandemic flu. “For me personally, this is a historic day in public health,” said Julie Gerberding, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief. “We have worked hard for a decade to put influenza on the table.” “State and local governments, academia, health systems, the private sector — they all have a part to play. If they're waiting for someone to come and rescue them, that's the wrong answer,” said Michael Osterholm, a former state health official from Minnesota. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) said the president was responding to a Democratic call for flu preparedness. “The president's announcement is a long-awaited first step toward a comprehensive pandemic flu plan,” he said. “Democrats have sounded the call … and today the president answered.” The Health and Human Service Department is today expected to release its flu preparedness plan, a document that has been in the works since the 1970s, the Post reported. Experts said the best way to prevent the spread of the flu in the years before a vaccine can be distributed widely would be to wash hands frequently, restrict travel during outbreaks, and keep sick patients at home (David Brown, Washington Post, Nov. 2).
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