U.S. looks to head off swine flu, prevent panic

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By Jon Ward

The Obama administration on Thursday said it a nationwide voluntary vaccination program will be necessary this fall to combat the return of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, and announced $350 million to help local communities prepare for the effort.

"The potential for a significant outbreak in the fall is looming, President Obama said, speaking by phone from Italy to hundreds of state and local officials gathered at an all-day flu summit in Maryland organized by top Cabinet officials.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius told the gathering that they should prepare for a mass vaccination program this fall, the start of the traditional U.S. flu season.

While we have made no final decisions about its scope, and have 'off ramps' built into our decision-making process if the circumstances change, at this point, we expect to initiate a voluntary fall vaccination program against the 2009 H1N1 flu virus, Mrs. Sebelius said. This will depend on the availability of a safe vaccine and the absence of changes in the virus that would render the vaccine ineffective.

HHS is making $350 million in grants available to state and local governments to get ready, with $260 million slotted to help communities prepare for a vaccination program, and $90 million to help hospitals plan for a surge of patients.

Mrs. Sebelius said that there is a strong chance of an antiviral-resistant strain becoming dominant in the fall, which would make a vaccine necessary.

In fact, health officials have already begun to see a small number of H1N1 cases where the virus is resistant to Tamiflu, the antiviral medication that has been most effective in mitigating the effects of the virus.

The earliest a vaccine would be ready is by mid-October.

At the same time, Mr. Obama said he wanted to make sure that we are not promoting panic, but we are promoting vigilance and preparation.

The administration wants local officials to be prepared with communications strategies that get accurate information out to their communities, and to counter erroneous information as quickly as possible.