Biosecurity Briefing Subscribe | About | Current Issue | RSS | Archive HHS Issues Pandemic Planning Update By Jennifer Nuzzo, November 17, 2006 On November 13, 2006, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued Pandemic Planning Update III,[1] an update of national and state pandemic activities. This document comes one year after HHS released its Pandemic Influenza Plan; the last pandemic update[1] from HHS was issued in July.[1] According to the report, the $2.3 billion appropriated by Congress in June for the second year of the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan will enable “HHS to continue to develop a vaccine for the U.S. population within six months of the first sign of a pandemic, come closer to our goal of antiviral coverage of 25% of the population, and enhance domestic and international public health infrastructure preparedness.”[1] The President’s FY 2007 budget request also includes $352 million for agencies to build on the implementation of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan.”[1] In June 2006, Congress appropriated $250 million for state and local preparedness. HHS has worked with states to facilitate their pandemic planning activities in the following ways: - In August, HHS “released an additional $225 million to the states to enhance preparedness, further regional planning and hold planning exercises” a portion of which, will be “awarded on a competitive basis for innovative approaches to preparedness.”
- HHS allocated $170 million to subsidize state purchases of antiviral medications, with the goal of creating state stockpiles totaling 31 million courses of antivirals (HHS pays 25% of cost to states). To date, 33 states “have already placed orders”; 4 states “plan to make unsubsidized purchases above their allocation”; and “four states do not plan to take full advantage of the subsidy program”. To date, states have ordered more than 8 million courses. HHS requires that states reserve subsidized stockpiles for pandemic use; they may not be used to treat seasonal flu.
- HHS joined with the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) to develop a model distribution plan for intrastate distribution of antivirals. The plan was completed in August and “HDMA is now working with states to help them adapt the plan to their specific situations.”[1]
HHS has also purchased antiviral medications and equipment for the Strategic National Stockpile, including: - 16 million courses of antivirals. Specifically, a total of $782 million was allocated this year for the purchase. By March 2007, HHS expects to have stockpiled a total of 36 million courses. HHS’s goal is to have “26 million courses of antivirals on hand by the end of 2006 and a total of 50 million courses in the SNS by the end of 2008.”
- 73.1 million N95 respirators; an additional 31.8 million are “on order”
- 37.4 million surgical masks; an additional 14.1 million are “on order”
- “Face shields, gloves and gowns”
Additionally, HHS has allocated $25 million for stockpiling ventilators; however, studies are underway to determine what type of ventilators should be stockpiled for a pandemic influenza event. HHS anticipates that it will be able to procure ventilators in 2007-2008.[1] According to the document, vaccine research “continues at a frantic pace”: - Vaccines have been developed for use against the “two known clades of H5N1.”
- Under the assumption that pre-pandemic vaccine will provide “at least partial protection against new virus strains”, HHS has stockpiled enough vaccine developed from the H5N1 clade 1 virus to treat “more than some 3 million people.”
- To develop additional vaccines using advanced cell-based technologies, HHS “committed over $1 billion during 2005 and 2006.”
- To expand egg-based vaccine production capacity, HHS solicited proposals in July 2006 “to adapt existing egg-based manufacturing facilities for emergency production of pandemic influenza vaccine;” HHS expects to award these contracts in December.
- Encouraged by clinical study results from GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis demonstrating that adjuvanted influenza vaccines may provide adequate protection with lower quantities of antigen, HHS is “reviewing contract proposals for further development of such dose-sparing technologies.”[1]
According to a CIDRAP news report,[2] the 3 million-person quantity of pre-pandemic vaccines that HHS says it has stockpiled represents a decrease from quantities outlined in a July update issued by the Department.[2] The July report indicated that HHS had enough vaccine for 4 million individuals. An HHS spokesperson told CIDRAP that this discrepancy is due mainly to a loss of potency of some of the stockpiled vaccines; however, a small percentage of the stockpiled vaccines have also been used for research. References - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Pandemic Planning Update III. November 13, 2006. Available at: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/panflureport3.pdf. Accessed November 17, 2006.
- Roos R. HHS says stockpiled H5N1 vaccine is losing potency. CIDRAP News. November 16, 2006. Available at: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/nov1606potency.html. Accessed November 17, 2006.
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