|
U.S. releases flu pandemic strategy
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-03 20:48
The nation's response to a flu pandemic could not succeed without a strong
effort by state and local governments because the battle might have to be fought
on "5,000 fronts," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt says.
Democrats in the House and Senate, however, question whether the states have
the financial resources to engage in such a fight.
In particular, lawmakers take issue with the Bush administration's plans for
the purchase of certain medicines. The plan says states would pay about $510
million for enough anti-flu drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza, which can reduce
the severity of the illness, to treat 31 million people.
The federal government would give states an incentive to make those purchases
by providing a 25 percent match, or $170 million.
Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., said the proposal
amounted to an unfunded mandate on the states and might mean that some states
would not be able to buy enough drugs.
"This is a national emergency. I believe very strongly it should not depend
upon where you live as to what sort of protection you get," Lowey told Leavitt
at a House hearing Wednesday.
Leavitt unveiled the administration's pandemic
preparedness plan during two separate hearings before congressional appropriators.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., broached the issue of state funding, too.
"States are extremely nervous about what's going to be required of them," she
said.
Leavitt said that when it came to anti-flu drug purchases the federal
government would be spending most of the money. The Bush plan calls for adding
enough antivirals to the federal stockpile to treat 24 million people. All of
that money would come from the federal government.
The program involving state funding would supplement the stockpile with an
additional 31 million courses of treatment.
Leavitt also downplayed the role of anti-flu drugs during a pandemic, saying
people should not equate the stockpiling of the drugs to pandemic preparedness.
Rather, the foundation of the Bush plan relies on the development of vaccines
that could prevent somebody from getting the disease altogether.
Leavitt said funding and liability protections were critical to ramping up
the production of a pandemic flu vaccine.
Lawmakers said they agreed that drug manufacturers would need some protection
from civil lawsuits, but Republicans and Democrats alike expressed concern that
some of the legislation proposed so far gives consumers basically no recourse if
harmed by a pandemic flu vaccine.
Overall, President Bush proposes to spend $7.1 billion
to prepare for a flu pandemic, three of which have occurred during the past
century. The plan itself was released Wednesday, and it stressed major steps
that state and local authorities must begin taking now.
|
