Working Group on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Joint Statement in Response to Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan

Abstract

On 1 November 2005, President Bush released the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza [1], which outlines how the United States intends to prepare for, detect, and respond to an influenza pandemic. Congress was asked to fund the plan by appropriating $7.1 billion, the bulk of which would go to the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to stockpile vaccines and antiviral drugs, to accelerate the development of new vaccine technologies, and to improve disease surveillance and the nation's public health infrastructure and communications.