WASHINGTON, Apr 30, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Health and safety officials across
the United States are beefing up their plans to address the outbreak of H1N1, or
swine flu, officials said.
All states report increasing surveillance of people with flu-like symptoms at
hospitals, Stateline.org reported Thursday. Individual schools have closed in
states from California and Ohio to New York and South Carolina, and a Texas
district has closed all 144 campuses.
Health officials are urging the public to practice good hygiene practices --
include washing hands, covering sneezes or coughs, and staying home if sick --
to help prevent the spread of the virus, Stateline.org said.
Paul Jarris, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials executive
director, this week urged a U.S. Senate subcommittee to allocate $1.06 billion
to help states respond to a pandemic flu. Cuts in federal funding and layoffs of
healthcare workers due to the recession could hamper states' ability to respond
to a potential outbreak, he said.
In breaking down how the $1 billion would be spent, Jarris asked the senators
for $350 million to help states update pandemic response plans and conduct
practice drills. He also sought $122 million to help states buy enough antiviral
medicine to treat 8 million more people, boosting U.S. stockpiles to 81 million
courses of treatment. Jarris also asked for $563 million to protect doctors,
nurses and other health workers with antiviral drugs and protective gear.
President Barack Obama Tuesday asked Congress for $1.5 billion to prepare for a
flu pandemic.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International