U.S. May Not Be Prepared For Public Health Crises, Says New Report

By Chingyu Wang-Talk Radio News Service

According to a report issued by Trust For America's Health (TFAH), an organization based around disease prevention, many states are not prepared for a possible public health crisis.

"13 states have purchased less than 50% of their share of federally-subsidized antiviral drugs to stockpile for use during an influenza pandemic," said Jeffrey Levi, the organizations director.

Levi also pointed out that 27 states cut funding for public health in FY 2008-09 due to the recession.

The report states that the H1N1 flu outbreak highlights possible problems with the U.S.'s ability to respond to public health crises. Partial blame can be attributed to the lagging state of the economy, TFAH contends.

Worst Of H1N1 May Be Over, Says WHO Official

The H1N1 pandemic may be continuing, but officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) are hoping that the worst is behind.

According to Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Special Adviser to the Director-General on Pandemic Influenza, there is still pandemic activity occurring in some locations. Certain areas of the globe, such as West Africa, are experiencing local upsurges in activity due to animal viruses, he said during a conference call on Thursday.

Fukuda said that the H1N1 pandemic has reached a post-peak period, meaning that folks worldwide should anticipate a series of local outbreaks. The current strain of H1N1 has now become the most common virus in the world, and WHO is strongly considering adding it to the general vaccine list next year, said Fukuda, adding that H1N1 has shown amazing stability relative to other viruses.

WHO officials along with groups of advisers and observers will meet next week to decide which strains of H1N1 will be targeted in the next flu season in the Northern Hemisphere. Information will be subsequently shared on WHO's website, www.who.int.

HHS Secretary Says 100 Million Doses Of H1N1 Vaccine Are Coming

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

The H1N1 flu virus is showing no signs of going away anytime soon, but more doses of the vaccine are being produced.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Thursday that 100 million doses of the H1N1 flu virus vaccine will be made available to the American people.

“Our message is take advantage of the increased supply, and get vaccinated as soon as you can,” she said.

"The vaccine was given to the high risk groups first to ensure that the limited vaccine would get to those most in danger of complications, added Sebelius, referring to pregnant women, people with asthma, small children and the elderly.

Sebelius noted that programs such as “Sid the Science Kid” as well as children's television characters like Elmo are teaching kids about how to properly cover a sneeze or cough.

Additionally, social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook are just a few “unconventional methods” that are helping to get the message out about the vaccine and prevent the spread of the flu, said Sebelius.

“You can’t mount a public response only inside the Beltway. It has to be a collaborative effort with partnerships on the ground, and that’s exactly what this response has been,” she said.

The Secretary urged people to go to www.flu.gov to find out more information about the H1N1 vaccine.

H1N1 Vaccine Production Plodding, But 49.9 Million Doses Available

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

Anne Schuchat, Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases acknowledged the slow production of H1N1 vaccines, but says there are nearly 50 million doses available to the States for use.

“Like everyone, I’m disappointed in the initial production,” said Schuchat during a hearing with the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "However, today we can announce there are 49.9 million doses available of H1N1 vaccine for the states to order."

"Its not as much as we wanted to have by now, or, frankly what we needed to have by now, but every dose is being rapidly moved out," Schuchat added.

Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) praised the initial response to the virus, but also recognized the dangers posed by the vaccine shortage.

“The hope was that a robust vaccine supply would arrive before infections began to soar and everyone worked as quickly as possible to meet that goal. These hopes were not met. The past several weeks have reminded us that the process of making flu vaccines is unpredictable and challenging,” said Waxman.

Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Nicole Lurie was grilled by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon), who was diagnosed in late October with H1N1.

"We had testimony September 15 from Secretary Sebelius and everything seemed to be on track and fine. So, explain who, did the manufacturers, weren't they straight with you?" asked Walden.

"There's nobody to blame here, there's no smoking gun," Lurie said.

CDC estimates nearly 22 million Americans have been infected with H1N1. Of the 22 million infected, 98,000 were hospitalized and nearly 4,000 have dead.

H1N1 Highlights Need For Mandatory Paid Sick Days, Says Democrat DeLauro

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) urged Congress Tuesday to consider legislation that would mandate paid sick leave for employees with the H1N1 virus.

“Paid sick days have always been a good and common sense idea, but in light of the recent H1N1 epidemic it has also become a necessary one,” DeLauro said while testifying to the Senate Health, Education and Labor Pensions Committee.

According to the Department of Labor and Statistics, only one in four low wage workers have access to paid sick days. These employees often work jobs that require frequent contact with the public. Adding to the problem is the fact that many workers go into work when sick in order to maintain the income they need.

“This isn’t just a workers’ rights issue, it’s a public health emergency,” said Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.). “Families should not have to choose between staying healthy and making ends meet.”

DeLauro worked with the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) earlier this year to push the Healthy Families Act, a bill that would mandate employers to guarantee employees one hour off for every 30 hours worked, allowing employees to earn up to seven sick days a year. Such a bill is necessary now, said DeLauro.

HELP Committee Ranking member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) said legislation that forced employers to provide paid sick days would be detrimental to small businesses that are already struggling to retain employees during economic hardships.

“Many employers are not able to maintain current payrolls, which is evidenced by the rise in unemployment,” Enzi said. “If this bill is enacted, employers will adjust somewhere either by reducing current healthcare... or by downsizing their number of employees.”

Many Republicans shared similar concerns when DeLauro and Kennedy urged passage of the bill in May. Dodd argued that given the current spread of H1N1, the bill is necessary now.

“If paid sick leave had been a reality when this pandemic began, we would be in better shape,” Dodd said. “I want it in place immediately to help parents and workers.”