Washington, D.C., November 23, 2004
– The American Public Health Association today applauded Congress for its recent approval of $100 million in federal funds to provide for the year-round production of the flu vaccine and to allow for the purchase of additional vaccine to avoid future shortages.
The vaccine funding, part of a public health and social services emergency fund, was passed on Saturday as part of the $388 billion government-wide spending bill. After some additional changes by the House on Wednesday, the bill will be sent to President Bush for his signature. APHA has called for widespread use of the flu vaccine among individuals targeted for immunization to prevent health risks associated with the potentially fatal illness. In the United States, influenza is responsible for an average of more than 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths a year.
“These additional federal funds to begin investing effectively in rebuilding the public health infrastructure will save lives, particularly in light of the significant problems with vaccine supplies this flu season,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “The need to modernize the vaccine production process, coupled with the need to build a vaccine production and supply system for the twenty-first century, is essential to protecting the nation against future flu epidemics.”
This month, APHA’s Governing Council approved a policy, “Developing a Comprehensive Public Health Approach to Influenza Vaccination,” that encourages the allocation of sufficient financial and human resources at local and state public health agencies and hospitals to improve their response to the flu vaccine shortage and the events that may follow it. Among other proposals, the policy urges Congress and the president to support the establishment of a federal vaccine purchase program for uninsured adults, including those for whom flu vaccine is recommended, and calls for resources for the development of local and regional Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plans that specify actions that local public health agencies and hospitals should take in the event of a flu outbreak. To request a copy of the vaccine policy, contact Sabrina Jones at 202-777-2509 or sabrina.jones@apha.org. A finalized version of the policy will be available next month at www.apha.org.
Founded in 1872, the APHA is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. The association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health providers, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health officials at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions.