Flu Gov: H1N1: Meeting the Challenge

Program Expansion

The number of states reporting widespread flu activity drops from 25 to 14. Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness drop as do flu-associated hospitalizations. As vaccine supply reaches almost 93 million doses and continues to increase steadily, states begin to extend their vaccination efforts to the general public.

However, flu-associated deaths continue to increase, serving as a reminder not only of the fact that flu can be deadly, but also of how important it is to vaccinate communities and reduce the impact of a possible winter outbreak.
Click on picture:


HHS continues to place high priority on keeping the public up-to-date and informed about the full range of its pandemic response.

The Department works closely with providers, who are stepping forward to dispel myths about vaccine safety and encourage the public to take advantage of the increase in vaccine supply. In mid-December, the regular “What to Do About the Flu” webcast features a live discussion with the former president of the American Medical Association to answer providers’ questions about the 2009 H1N1 virus and vaccine.

Also during December, HHS and the Ad Council launch a new Together We Can All Fight the Flu PSA campaign to drive home the message that by getting vaccinated, you can help protect your whole community. The Secretary continues to reach out to communities of color, where health disparities put many people at greater risk of flu complications.




NIAID and FDA lead an in-depth seminar for science writers on the range of new vaccine technology currently under development.

The Department continues to be engaged in the international effort to stem the tide of H1N1 globally, sending Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Lurie to the Global Health Security Initiative Ministerial Meeting in London.

And, in a speech to the American Medical Association, Secretary Sebelius foreshadows next steps in the pandemic response, announcing a review of the Department’s entire public health countermeasures enterprise, to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. “We’re going to look at how our policies affect every step of countermeasure development and production and ask: how can we do better? And then we’re going to put those answers into action,” said Secretary Sebelius.

[Much more at the site. Click on Title]